The Trouble With Seed Stitch

is that when you are knitting it in a sweater, it goes on forever. This sleeve just will not end.

Last week at this time, I thought I would surely be done with at least the sleeves. And I am not even finished with the first one.

Doesn't it look fine on my new living room floor?

We Had Quite The Weekend

I spent yesterday at an Alzheimer's Event for most of the day. We didn't get a lot of traffic, but I managed to sell off a few of the lia sophia samples. I came home to Bob working on some new door jams. How nice was that!

Today he did a few more. While he worked on them, I worked on emptying a few boxes. We have decided after working through all of mom's stuff to start making it easier for our kids someday. Purging is the name of the game. And getting some things in order.

Now, it will not be happening overnight, cause we have a lot of purging to do, but at least we have a start.

The new living room and dining room floors are in. I love them! I am not covering them with area rugs at this time. We have to wait on the kitchen floor as the installer took Friday off and can't come back until next week. Which does not work for us?! I'm okay to wait, but unfortunately, I can't get off from work when he needs to come back. And the Tall Guy needs to check his schedule as well. One of us will have to take another couple of days off in the next couple of weeks to sit here when the guy can be rescheduled.

It seems like Sundays are going to be for work projects around the house for now.
Is the weekend over already?

By the way, Central Illinois is going to have 60 degree temps this week. Is Fall here? I don't think I am ready yet.

My New Bag

It seems that not only do I collect needles, that I collect bags. Well, that is no secret is it now! I've always been a collector of totes. At one time, I gave thought to putting nails all over the spare bedroom and displaying them. Then kids came along and now they are here and there.

After we started going through my mom's stuff, I made a vow that I would start cleaning our stuff up. Maybe, I'll get all of the tote bags together in one place. Well, it's a start.

Ir's True

My mother always said I didn't know when to keep my mouth shut. More than once, since I have gotten my Harmony needles, have I said that I didn't need another set of needles. I pooed the Addi Clicks as being too expensive and not enough cords available etc. I even looked very quickly at them a few weeks back and decided they were not for me.

Then, last week at the shop, I was reminded that almost a year ago, I told them to order me a set. Signt unseen. Before my Harmony needles. I was riding the wave and loved my regular Addis.

So since I had told them to order, I really had to buy them.
You know what? I like them. Since I put my Harmony needles in a small version of the worm bag, I pulled out my Harmony needle holder and am using it for my new Addi Clicks. These I carry in my knitting bag almost all the time. They are just right for carrying.

Yes, they were pricey. Yes, at this time there is not any extra cords or tips. And I like them and will use them. I like my Harmony needles more, but still am not sorry, well maybe my wallet is.

Progress Is Being Made

Perhaps by the weekend I will be able to clean the furniture and put everything back. It doesn't look like the kitchen will get done until next week depending on the installer's schedule. I'm okay with that.

I met with the real estate agent last night on mom's house. As of today, there is a sign in the yard and it is for sale! We are hoping for a quick sale. I am waiting for the auction house to pick up the garage full of stuff at the house. Once that is done, there is a little work to do on it and then we will sit and wait.

It's hard to believe that it has been five months. I still have moments when I think I'll go call and tell her about the floor and realize that she is gone.

Goodbye Old Floor




Where's the new Floor?





Is it done yet?

New Floors

The guy started laying my new floor this morning. I'll show pictures later this week as it progresses. He estimates that it will take him all week to do the living room, dining room and hallway. Then, will probably have to come back next week to do the kitchen.

Already, I'm tired of being displaced. If you could see Baby Boy B's room, the yarn room and the living room! At the moment, sitting space with a t.v is at a premium. Which means I can be comfy and knit or I can be uncomfy and watch Dancing with the Stars. I hope he makes more progress for tomorrow night. Either that or I need to get control of my little t.v. back for the yarn room.

By the way, the he is not the Tall Guy but rather the flooring company. I thought there would be two of them. Instead there is just one and the Tall Guy is having to help him move furniture. No wonder it is going to take more than a week!

Tomorrow night, I am meeting with a real estate agent to see about getting Mom's house on the market soon. The auction house wasn't able to pick up the stuff from her garage this morning. She is going to try for Thursday or the following Thursday. I'll be glad when that piece is done as well!

Sometimes It Helps

to talk to a fellow knitter.

They can help you focus, and make you realize that the reason you are not finishing anything is that you are flittin from one project to another rather than concentrating on one. When I concentrate on just one project, I actually finish things.

Linda reminded me of that on Saturday when we talked. She, innocently or maybe not innocently, told me how I was producing a lot of jackets last Spring and early Summer. Since camp, I have been casting on here and there and completing not much of anything.

As much as I want to be working on some new sweaters that I bought yarn for at Stitches and before Stitches, I really need to finish Seedling from Knitted Jackets.
I got to knit (when not sleeping) all the way up to Aurora and back today. Seed stitch takes a lot of knitting! What I did notice, today in the car before it started to rain is this jacket in Ironstone Color Changes is going to be great with blue jeans as well as other pants. Love it!

The View From Work

Sometimes at work, we get the neatest things to look at our back window. This pair give us a little fun at work. We watch for them and when they don't show we wonder where they are off to.

We're Back!

Fellow Knitters, Sue, Debbie and I just got back from Stitches Midwest and the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival.

We had a blast. We went up Thursday morning and took classes on Thursday afternoon. Debbie and I did Japanese Short Rows (I'll show you that stuff in the next couple of days). The class was great and I will try the technique out in the very near future. Thursday night, we went to the market and WOW. More on that later too. We ate at Weber Grill with Pam and Jan, also fellow knitters from the area. After, Debbie, Sue and I went back to our suite and I taught them some Ravelry basics and then we stayed up til 3 am knitting and talking!

Jan was in our class and when she told where she was from, Debbie and I were both surprised that she was from our area. New knitting friends have been made.

Friday, Sue had two classes and Debbie and I shopped the market all day long. We met up with Pat, Jean, Norma, Barb, Val and Marilyn for lunch. Then when some went off to class, the rest of us migrated too and from the table while others shopped. What a great afternoon! Another group, Carol, Barb and another Sue migrated to our table as well as Pam and Jan.

Friday night, Sue, Debbie and I went to Wildfire to eat and then back to our suite for knitting. We didn't stay up as late last night (just midnight ish)and slept in a bit this morning.

This morning, we leisurely made our way over to the market for some last minute shopping and then took off for the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival. There was a lot of things for the spinner there in two barns and some nice yarns. While shopping in one of the barns, I turned around and there was three ladies from Meg's camp from 2 years ago! It was so cool to see them again.

After an afternoon there, we decided that we didn't need to stay overnight and go back tomorrow, so we headed home tonight instead.

I've got my clothes unpacked and am thinking now about unloading all my purchases. Maybe for now I'll just lay them out on the bed and deal with them tomorrow. Of course, I'll blog about them as well too!

What a great time we had and I think we will do at least Stitches Midwest again.

Saturday Shoppin

Sue and I went over to Bloomington/Normal on Saturday for a little yarn shoppin. Normally, we would go to our favorite local haunt in Dunlap but they were closed for the holiday weekend.

We hit several shops, Ewe Knit in Normal, Mary Lynn's and Village Stitches in Bloomington. I did pretty good until Village Stitches. I met Jennifer, the owner through Ravelry. I knew going over there that I wanted to get the yarns for the Tulip Baby Sweater which I'll show you sometime later when I get more of it it knit.

I, also, picked up a light denim Cascade 220 for another of the Pure and Simple Sweaters. Originally, it was going to be a hoodie, but I realized after I got home that I already have a hoodie of sort out of a light denim. One of the neat things about Jennifer is how she took a couple of the Knitting Pure and Simple patterns and created several different looking sweaters from them.

Another something that caught both Sue and my eye was a Christmas Stocking done from an unusal color. Sue got it for the purple, I got the yarn for my DIL who is into purple as well. Since, I had to make due with a little baggie for her stocking last year, I decided to get a jump on one for her this year.

Unconventional colors yes, but I think she'll like it. I do!

Not Sure

I ordered a couple of the new acrylic Knit Picks needles. I am not all that crazy about them. I still like my harmony needles the best.

It may have been the yarn I tried them out on. But it seems like they drag a little.

I had a chance to check the Addi Clicks out yesterday as well. Definitely, not on my list!

Three Yarns

Three different sweaters. Yes, they are very close, but I love each of them.

Left - Malabrigo for Little Edo
Center - Brown Sheep for Cusco
Right - Colorchanges for Seedling

All from Cheryl Oberle's book, Knitted Jackets

Have you bought the book yet?

I'm Not Whining

But this is our second dumpster to fill in this week. I think we are done for now.
I'm pooped. The only knitting I have done in the last few days is this morning when I was waiting for the dumpster to be dropped off. I hope to change that tomorrow.

I have a couple of appointments for tomorrow and knitting tomorrow night. Finally, some knitting time.

I do have to say, I could not have picked a better week. The sun has been shining all week, it around 70 out with a cool breeze blowing.

Finished!

And just in time I'd say. This morning, I need a sweater and some sox. It is darn chilly in Central Illinois this morning.

We made alot of progress yesterday, filled a dumpster in less than two hours. There is still alot to be done, sometimes unreal. We are all ready to be done, much like I was with this sweater.