The Baby's Room And A New Blanket

I'm tickeled about seeing pictures of the baby's room.  I can hardly wait to see it in person.  When DIL told me the colors, I was really wondering what it would look like, but this is going to be so cool.

 I was going to hold onto this present until a little later this summer, when I have the chance to knit a sweater and finish the booties to go with it.  But, after seeing the room, this is something that has to go over when the baby is born.

The pattern is Jared Flood's Tweed Baby Blanket.  The colors are actually right from a Debbie Bliss blanket and I used her yarn for it as well.  It was just a fluke that it is almost the same colors as the baby-to-be's bedroom. 

Other than the yarn change, I did it exactly as called for in the pattern right down to the I-Cord bindoff.  It was the first time I ever did it and I love the looks of it.  Even if I did grumble once or twice about the 500+ stitches. 

I just need to block this and then it will be ready to wrap.  I'm pleased this one is done and almost ready to go!

I'm Bag Poor

But then you all know that.  The new craze around here, Thirty One.  These are the ones I bought from a lady I work with.

I liked the size of this and still am not quite sure what I am going to be using for, but for now it is holding yarn, go figure.

 If I spent $30, I got this little bag for $5.  Who could pass this up?  It's holding my two needle cases for my Knit Picks interchangeables and double points, along with my notebook of patterns that I might want to buy yarn for.  It will be a great grab and go bag.

If I can figure out how to do it, I am going to try and put this as the header of the blog.  IF.

There are more Thirty One bags to come as I went to a party a couple of weeks ago.  Oy, someone has created a monster here.

I Don't Care What They Say

Stick this in your pipe and smoke it!

Ravelympics Ravelympics Ravelympics Ravelympics Ravelympics

IOC, you stink and have tainted how I look at the games.  It's my party and I'll call it what I want to.

Ok, back to regulary scheduled knitting and blogging.

Let's Try It One More Time

Drop spindle spinning again.  Like the weight loss thingy and the running thingy, I'm giving this drop spindle thing another try.  I took a class on Saturday at Fiber Universe in Peoria and now I really am going to try and spin everyday.  ONE more time.

I am still having the same problem that I had a year ago and that is I can get really really thin and then all of sudden I'm back at thick again.  I know it is going to take some practice and my thought is a little bit every day.

I might even give that Tour de Fleece thingy the college try.

Do You Think I Have A Problem?

I see a trend here.  

Like my knitting, after seeing these all together, I think I had better start using one of these until it looks so ratty that I am forced to move to the next one.

For the archives -

Far left: A JCPenney purchase of two years ago.  I liked it so much that I bought it in a metallic one as well.  My cohorts in crime (Kristy and Barb) also bought it in purple and pink.  Friend Betty bought it in a metallic as well.

Center Front: My first Namaste bag purchased maybe three years ago.  I bought it because I wanted to be able to carry my knitting in one side of it.  In the beginning, I wasn't too crazy about it.  It kep slipping off my shoulder and felt just way too big.  It went to the closet for a period of time out, where it came back last winter.  I found I liked the big ness of it.  I could put a small project in it and files to bring home from work.  It cut down on the amount of bags I had to carry in and out of work.  When Spring came, I put it into the closet in favor of one of my many Vera Bradley Bowler bags.  Namaste #1 will come out again in the Fall.

Center Back:  Namaste #2 purchased two years ago at Stitches Midwest.  I bought it on a whim on they way out of the Thursday night market.  I hadn't bought anything all night long and felt that I "needed" it.  This one never quite lived up to my expectations yet.  It's heavy.  I tried carrying for work, but it just seemed big and awkward.  I may try it again, but not anytime soon....I even tried to sell it on Ravelry.

Far right:  The newest purchase bought sight unseen after seeing it advertised and blogged about all over the place.  My Jordana Paige.  I kind of sort of like this one.  But it is not an every day bag for me.  It would be great when I go somewhere that I don't want to haul purse and knitting, like long days at hospitals visit or one day trip.  When I pack it with everything I like to take, it's a little heavy.  The strap that comes over was a little awkward for me when shopping.  But, I have not totally given up on this one, because like Namaste #1, it may take me just a bit to get used to it.

If you can' derive from the pics and the rambling, I am always searching for the perfect purse/bag/tote.  The quest goes on as long as it is the right color!

The Search

We had a great discussion tonight at Knit Nite about knitting.  Go figure!

The jist of it is once again, to knit what you want to.  Too many times, I am lead astray by what others are knitting or the lure of a designer.  Which leads me to going around in circles on my knitting and wandering around Ravelry way too much.  Then casting on and putting things aside.

You have heard this all before here.  My friend Norma reminded of this same revelation I have had before.  Sometimes, you just need a little reminder from a good friend. 

My search for now is to find a pattern that is similar to a Laura Ashley ready to wear sweater that I have worn to death and I am much afraid that it has seen the last of when it can be worn to work.  I really want to knit at least one on the order of it.

A couple of contenders are Jess from Kim Hargreaves and the Summer Solstice Sweater.  I like both of those patterns and I WANT to knit them.

Can You Stand All This Cuteness?

Cause if you can't, you had better step away for a bit.  You know there is going to be a lot of it coming.

So, on Saturday morning before knitting, I ran inti Kohls to return some pants.  But of course you have to walk by the baby stuff to get there.  At first, I picked up a cute set of onesies and then put them back.  But, as I walking back out, I eyeballed this cutie and had to buy it. 

This baby has to have some Caribe Blue like in her wardrobe.

But of course I had to take it into the yarn shop to show.  Nothing really floated our boat, so I headed over across the river.

This is going to be so much fun to knit AND it is one of my fave type of patterns as you all well know.

Both the new purchase and this shrug will be for later this summer as they are going to be a slightly larger size than newborn.

Oh what fun!!

Happy Father's Day

 My Dad - Deceased

 The Tall Guy's Dad - Deceased

Baby Boy A - Dad- to- be

The Tall Guy and Grandpa-to-be



Booties + Kimono =

Too Cute!

 From the Knit One All Book, the Tie Booties

From Mason Dixon Knitting, the Kimono

The ensemble, all ready for the birth in about three weeks.  My plan is to take something new everytime I go.  Wait til you see what I bought today.

I Love My Postman/UPS Person

They have been bring me the bestest stuff this week!  Well, yes I picked it up.  But it is so exciting to open the boxes after a long days work.

 I've been salivating over this bag from Jordana Paige for sometime and finally bit and bought it. 
I can't tell you really what I think yet, cause I have not taken the time to put any stuff in it.  But, I will, soon, very soon.

These BOCs are pretty comfortable and just the right color, right?!  Only problem, it has been a while since I've had a shoe that I have had to buckle up.  Most of mine slip right on.  This is going to take some getting used to.  No just tossing them off. 

Did I mention they are my fave color?!!

Button Button Button

Whose got the button?  Well, apparently, the answer to this old childhood game would be me.

Yesterday, on my mental health day, I finished the afternoon up with a button show out at Knit 4 Together.  Ann Pastucha who makes some of the coolest polymer buttons had her collection there for sale.

I've used her buttons before on my Seedling Jacket, so I knew she had some pretty cool buttons, so I was quite pleased with my finds.

 This one looks better than the picture would show.  My Briar Rose Wistful yarn is going to be a sweater during the Ravelympics late in July.  Generally, I have to go looking for buttons after the sweater is done, now I won't have to.

These two really are just for the stash button collection, yes I have one.  So many sweaters right now have just one big button at the top, so I'm getting ahead of the curve of possible future sweaters.

 And the best find of the day, were these for my Long Collared Coat.  They are going to be perfect with yet another Briar Rose yarn, this one called Abundance.  The button hole is a tab I-cord button hole, my first ever.  I might have to scale down the hole itself, but this button is going to be so cool for this coat!

If you need info on Ann, she can be reached at apastucha@yahoo.com

Regrouping

It's a gorgeous day in Central Illinois.  I took the day off because I have an appointment around noonish and two other fun things that I wanted to do this afternoon.  And quite frankly, I needed/wanted a day or at least a morning to myself.

I slept in late (of course cause I stayed up late and because I could).  In awhile I am going to go for a 20 minute walk/run.  Today, is also the start of my Weight Watchers Week, and so as always I am regrouping with that, the exercise plan and the knitting plan.  I had a moment this morning when I told myself if you are knitting, you are not eating!!! 

Last night in the wee hours, while on Ravelry, I stumbled across two fave knitters (read that as I am stalking their projects), and without boring you to death, I was off on a tangent with one of them, thinking how I could duplicate what they were knitting.  Out came the Pure and Simple patterns and the wheels were a turning, the yarns were tossed around, my brain was going no where real fast. 

After spinning for about an hour, reality sat in...and of course my ever list making...digression here as EZ would say -- I still worry what my family will say if when I am gone about all of the lists, think of them as a journal, kids or perhaps I should get rid of them before that happens  YEARS from now!

Back to the list making.  First I figured out how many days were left until the baby is due (23),  Then, I figured out how many days were left until I absolutely had to have sweaters for Knit Camp with Meg Swansen blocked and dried (28).  Next, I made a list in order of what I need/wanted to have done by each of those dates.  To the nitty gritty - I gave myself deadlines for each of them.

Luckily, the baby stuff that I need/want to have done is minor.  Since it is a July baby, what I am really knitting on - the Brooklyn Tweed Baby Blanket, Saartje's booties and Baby Surplice Jacket really don't need to be done until later this Summer and they can go to camp with me.  I just need to add ties to the Kimono sweater which could be done in the time it takes me to post on the blog if I'd just do it.

The others for camp are my major knitting projects - the kelly green Sublime KPS pattern, the Long Collared Coat (I'll tell you all about that tomorrow), the Bias Sweater sewn together and ICord added, the Liberty Wool shawl, possible camp contest project and getting my Cusco jacket on smaller needles made the list all the way up to lift off for camp practically.

Sheesh, with all this thinking, one might have been better to just work today!!  It could be said, than when I am working, I am not knitting, but for today, I am going to enjoy this great weather and the day off from work!

World Wide Knit in Public Day/Week

We really need to do something about this locally.  With three yarn shops within a 15 mile radius, you would think someone would capitalize on this wouldn't you? 
I would if I was a shop owner....surely there is some way "they" could use this for advertising purposes.

There is still time World Wide Knit In Public Day goes through next Sunday.  Do it!

Only Four Weeks to Go!

Somewhere in this picture is our first granddaughter.  Can you believe it?  I'm not ready.  So much still to do or rather what I wanted to do. 

I'm trying to remain calm.

Mad at Myself

Or why did I wait so long to decide to finish a project?  Or you know you have too much yarn, when you can't find another skein that you are sure you have!

I got a wild hair a couple of weeks ago to finish my Long Collared Coat for Show and Tell for Camp.  Little did I know that 2200 yards of yarn that I bought over a year ago wouldn't be enough!!  So, now, I am scrambling for more.  Even though I keep thinking I surely didn't use it all already.  There must be another skein hiding somewhere in the Yarn Room.

Problem is, it is a 750 yard skein, so it can't be hiding too far.  I emailed Chris over at Briar Rose to see if she had some, we will wait and see if I really need it.  Well, no, I am not real sure that I will, I just have this sinking feeling that these sleeves are going to take more than I have. 

I may have to see about doing a super wide cuff out of the Alpaca With A Twist if more yarn doesn't pan out.

Needless to say, I'm bumbed tonight.  But it is a learning lesson as a friend once said.  I just wish someone else was learning it.

Happy Birthday Jo!

Prep and Cleaning

The Yarn Room needed a little pick up.  Seems like lately, a lot of things have just been sat in there.  Sometimes picking up is a bad thing.  Yarns are found, which in turn creates projects that want to be started, which creates more works in progress.  It's a vicious circle, I really am trying to break this Summer.

This little stash is the baby projects that need to be completed in the next month.  Along with some projects that I "would" like to have done for Knit Camp in five weeks.  Those are not posted here, but believe me they take up a little more space than these do.

From this picture, one would deduce that I am getting ready to go somewhere.  And one would be correct.  This is the grandma-to-be rendition of getting ready for baby.  I know that when I get the call, I will not have my wits about me, so I am getting prepared to travel in a hurry.  I know I've got a month, but I don't do well with living on the fly.

Camera bag with "good" camera, little webbie cam, assorted battery chargers and IPad camera transfer - Check.
Extra yarn bag with yarn of projects I am currently knitting on that I would not want to be without for an extended period of time - Check.
Bag with spare undies, nightie.  Check.  There is still more to go in this bag, but it requires a few things yet.

Oh yes, and the real knitting bag is still to be packed with the current projects.  But, that is a pretty easy one to grab and go with.

I think I'm ready now....lets sit back and wait.

For Grandma's House

Thats how this present was given.  My knitting friend, Debbie gave me this today at the shop.  How cool is all of this?  Can you say adorable?!!  How neat of her to think of doing such a sweet thing.



I can hardly wait to try them out, even though I have lots of knitting to do.  How quickly time is flying by.  In just a couple of days short of a month the baby will due - July 5th. 

Can you say scattered? 

Dancin With Joy

It doesn't take much to make me happy.  This is the lot of yarn that I only bought two of from Knit 4 Together earlier this Spring.  At the time, I thought 2 would be plenty, cause I figured I do some sort of shawl out of it. 

Then, I realized 2 was too many for a shawl.  So I sat out trying to figure what I could knit with two skeins.  It seems that there isn't much out there.  I either need one skein or three to four skeins.

I checked on Ravelry and even sent a couple of emails to shops to see if they had the same dye lot...no response.  Last weekend, when I decided I needed to order a couple of skeins of lilac and brown to finish the baby blanket, I figured I go out on a limb and order two skeins of the same color and take my chances that it "might" be the same dye lot.  It's happened before with Cascade yarns.  Worst case scenario, I would knit with one skein of one lot then knit with a skein from the other dye lot.

Guess what happened?  Jack Pot!!  Look what came from Jimmy Beans Wool.  Two of the same dye lot of what I had.  Now, I have four skeins to work with and I have a couple of sweaters in mind for it!

And look what was in my box from Jimmy Bean....doesn't take much to make me dance!