Rrrrrrrrrrt!

That is the sound of Cinnamon Bark coming to a screeching halt last night!

I was so pleased to get the sleeves done and the back started. I could hardly wait til I got to the actually patterning of it. Then, maybe because I was really tired but I got to row 3 and had to stop. The brain shut down and now it will require me taking a look at it again and really understanding what I am suppose to be knitting right after the first marker.

Norma in Oregon - do you have pictures of yours somewhere? Did you have problems on the back at all or is it just me?

Count Em - Four!


Yes, I am the shoe queen, but not all of these am I keeping. And these are not all of the ones I have had shipped in from shoebuy.com, shoetrader.com and zappo.com


Four others have come and gone.....

A friend from work is lending me these. They are in contention.

These are going back, they are way too gold.

These are my favorites and are in the running, I am keeping them no matter what!

And you know these are staying! They are my party shoes for the wedding!

Sundays Are For Charity Knitting

A friend of mine has been approached for laprobes, 100 of them by Christmas, for a local hospice organization. If you are looking for a community project, would you consider making one? Laprobe requirements are.....no more than 30" wide by 25" long using a machine washable and dryable yarn. Pattern and color is your choice. (Good time to use those leftovers and try out a couple of new pattern stitches)

She is also looking for baby things for a community baby shower in West Virginia. These items will be distributed by a mission organization called Passionate Volunteers to new and expectant mothers in a coal mining county in West Virginia. Machine wash and dryability is important for this project as well. Items will be distributed in July. (Baby yarn, I got Baby yarn)

If you have some leftover yarns and want to whip any of these up and just happen to be in the Central IL area, please contact SpinWool7@aol.com

Tossing It Around

Saturdays and Sundays when there is nothing really planned other than the normal laundry, start me to thinkin, which is always a scary thought. Because the mind starts to wander about ways to incorporate my love of knitting AND making some extra money for yarn purchases (the tall guy says as if you need more yarn(who asked him?).

With two yarn shops in my driving vicinity, it is highly unlikely that I will ever have a yarn shop of my own (that and that whole winning the lottery thing). So, once again my thoughts travel to teaching knitting. I don't really want to teach beginners knitting, but would rather help someone venture past scarves into knitting their first sweater.

That is where my mind is wandering today. It is not something I can do right now (with the wedding just 5 weeks from today), but rather as a thought for after camp in July and a lead in to the late summer/early fall. And one must make samples - which leads to yet another sweater cast on, Norma! I always have liked the planning of a new garment, whether it was sewing or knitting, the imagining of what it will be like.

And so today, that is where Ravelry is taking me today. It's kind of fun having a weekend free of obligations, well not really free, there are some wedding things to work out, but relatively free. And it is chilly today, I see a sweater that needs worn.

Finally!

I'm at the second sleeve shaping on Cinnamon Bark. I am so ready to be starting the back of the sweater, but there is still a little work on the second sleeve to be knit. I hope to get started on the back tomorrow!

Have I told you all how I love working with this Alpaca with a Twist? So much that I bought some in Rose for a Moebius for next winter!

This and That

No pics, just this and that today.

I was off today. I took the lia sophia jewelry to the Tri-County Chapter IAAP breakfast today. It was a good morning. I have a couple of contacts and made a couple of sales. It was over before I thought it was supposed to be, but that was a good thing. I got to run some errands in Peoria (the next quest is for some new pants for work).

While out and about and conserving gas (by planning the places I needed to go) I ended up over at Ewe-nique Yarns new place in Morton. The yarn is out, but they are still working on getting the books out, and word has it that the new yarn they have will be out later, after they get some more racks. It is going to be a nice place when they get done.

While at the breakfast this morning, I sat and knitted on my Christiane sweater. It is some mindless knitting. And it just felt so good to sit there and listen to the speaker and knit!

I got home around 12:30 today, and finally got the jewelry all sorted out and decided to check some sights and listen to the latest podcast from Stash and Burn. They turned me on to the top 5 patterns that are a free download from Knitting Daily. I am actually now searching through Ravelry to see what others are making Swallowtail out of.

It's been a good day. The sun is shining and I am alone for the next couple of hours, I think I'll go make a pot of coffee, put my feet up and knit a bit! I like these vacations in the middle of the week.

Happy Birthday Roger and Willie!



Today is their 25th birthday, and this will probably be the last one that they are together for awhile. Where did the time go? They may be 25, but as you can tell somedays they are still 5 in puppy years.

We love em though!

This May Be Sacreligious!

But, I only have two issues left on my Knitters magazine subscription and I am thinking of giving it up. My issue showed up yesterday, after I saw it in the Yarn Shop over a week ago. And it took me less than an hour to see that there wasn't much in this issue for me.

I figure I can check new issues out and my local yarn shop or Barnes and Noble and then buy the issue IF I just have to have it. Right now, the issues are cluttering up my bookcase and about one issue in 5 actually have something I might knit!

Thoughts?

What A Change

Last Saturday, when I could take these pictures outside, it was sunny, warm and Spring. Today, its cloudy, cold and Winter is Back. But, not for long, Spring will be back in a couple of days. In the meantime, I am trying to figure out what I am going to do with these two yarns.

Originally, this wonderful Encore was going to be the Mitered Square Cardigan. I even started a test square. But, now that I see what it looks like being knitted, I am giving serious thought to the Tomten out of it.

Then, the Taos jacket is in semi permanent time out. Even though, I only have a sleeve, back and collar left to do, I think the consensus is that I am just not going to be happy with it. I am giving thought to making it into an Adult's Baby Surprise Jacket.




In the mean time, I have finished a sleeve on Cinnamon Bark Cardigan and started the second. I am lovin knitting on it!

Changing Horses In the Middle of A Stream

From a Dan Folgelberg song-
It became apparent a couple of weeks ago, while out at Knit 4 Together, that the brown sweater designed by Christiane was just not going to make it. You see I was trying to use from my stash some brown leftover Encore. It was kind of a quiet color and not much to work on. Then, when held against the sample sweater it was evident that I was using too small of a needle.

The intent was to rip it out and start with the brown again. I bought this new Encore for a shawl that Karen had made. It takes four skeins. Somehow, not thinking I bought 5 skeins. And since I made that discovery, it just seemed like the new Encore was calling to be knit into Christiane's sweater.

Here it is. Don't you just love the way the colors are coming out? It's me!

By the way, we are knitting at Knit 4 Together tonight at 6:00 if you want to join us. But, first I have to buy a shower gift for Saturday's shower.

Only 3 months before we will be winging our way to Knit Camp 2.75!

Blocked and Folded

And no roll at the bottom hem. I just soaked the hem on the Brooks Pullover, pounded it out and let it dry on the table. Looks good to me.

Now, that I have finished blocking it, it is time to block the Cobblestone sweater. I just need a few more of these 60 degree days so I can sit them out in the sun to finish drying!

Sundays Are For Laundry

And for sittin around in my jammies watchin baseball until I absolutely have to get out of them. But last night I got a fair portion of the laundry done, so today I am plannin. Future projects of course, or plans for yarn that I have bought.

Maybe because it was so gorgeous yesterday and again today, but I got the urge to put out the Brooks Pullover to dry. I started blocking it on the dining room table last night and had to light a candle to take the smell of wet wool out of the house. When the knitting room is mine, I have a large fold out cutting table that will be moved into the room and I will have a place to block my sweaters. Years ago, I bought a kit from Threadbear Fiberarts to put on top of the table. It waits in the basement. But for now, the dining room table and my beach towels will have to do.

It appears from when I had the Brooks sweater on the table that the flip up of the hem is blocking out! Yippee Skippee!

The Mermaid Beginnith

Yes, I have started Hanne Falkenberg's Mermaid Jacket. It starts with a length of Icord for the front. Don't expect too much too soon as I have several start up projects going on as we speak.

And they are all projects that I want to do, not what my conscience is telling me I should do out of yarn already on hand. It is quite liberating.

No April Foolin Here!

I have a dress.

It fits. I won't have to hem it. It won't have to be taken in.

Now the quest for shoes. The ones I have are a way different color of green. The jewelry I originally was going to wear won't go with it, but hey, I sell lia sophia jewelry, I'll just go to another piece in the case. Well, and then there is a purse, I can deal with that too.

I gotta dress! It's over, aren't you glad?