If You Could Have Seen Me

I spent the entire weekend with knitting needles in my hand. And probably every waking moment this week after work you will see the same thing. I have paired down the list of what MUST be done. One pair of flip flop socks, one scarf and one hat and mitten set.

Accomplished this weekend, three scarves, two of which did not have to be done, but I spent time knitting them anyway. Heck none of them really had to be done, I could of not. The two outside scarves ended up being shorter than I really wanted them to be, but I kind of knew that going into them. But still I knit them.

And a pair of mittens, to go with one of the scarves. Again, I didn't need to do them, I already had something for the intendee, but her scarf from last year, had an accident, so instead of trying to repair,Walmart had the same yarn and I made a new one. And since I was doing mittens for other friends, I figured she'd be disappointed if she did not get some too.

Oh, the rationale!

Absolutely No Knitting Was Done Yesterday



And I doubt today either. It's another full day for me, a meeting first thing, then mostly eating-two potlucks at lunch to attend and a dinner tonight! And that is even the Unit Party yet. And I have to weigh in at noon. Am I tired? But, this is the worst of it. I still have shopping to do and loads of knitting, but after tonight, I should be able to get back at my regular schedule!

But, I did get my tree up and some packages wrapped. I was so pleased about that! But, now I think they need some of those cute little mittens for decor on the top. You know the pattern...it was on the Knitting Calendar a few days back....Someone stop me please!!

Holiday Knitting Still To Do

This bag contains everything that I would like to accomplish for the Holidays. Realistically, at this moment, I'm ready to chuck one of them. It's not a gift, it is something a coworker asked me to knit for a friend of hers. Its not crucial as far as I'm concerned.

Tomorrow night, I'll make the decision. Tonight I shopped. My feet burn. Never again will I be this far behind and not know what I am shopping for! Never again!

I Went Shopping On Saturday


I'm glad I did. Because the yarn shop will be open next Saturday but not the two Saturdays after that when I really would want to go and shop JUST FOR ME. I could make a trip out there when I'm off between Christmas and New Year, but I intend on spending that week KNITTING WHATEVER I WANT!


What did I buy? Yarn for a scarf for a friend of mine's 50th birthday celebration the Saturday before Christmas. I've got to get my fingers busy with this one.


A Dale Baby Book I don't have. Which has this cute little hat and mittens set in it.I would like to get it done for Christmas Eve for my new little great-nephew. I think it would be a nice tradition to start for the little ones to get a new knitted hat and mitten set each Christmas from their Auntie Pen.


Sounds like something out of a book doesn't it. I can just hear them when they are 20, "every year even now when we are 20, our eccentric Auntie Pen knits us hats and mittens"


And this is for after Christmas, Alpaca Twist for a shawl for me. The feel is just scrumptous. And do you notice the color? It is not blue or green. It will go great with black and gray and blue. For now it sits and waits for me.

Two Weeks And All Will Be Given

At this time in just two weeks and Christmas Eve will be over. All of the knitted stuff will be given away. I've got way too much to accomplish in the next two weeks. I cannot sit and read like I did this weekend. I must knit whenever possible!

Updates later this week.

Another Christmas Gift Done
Gazillions to go. And I have rethought a couple too.

No time to chat, too much to accomplish tonight. You know how it is....

It's Cold Outside!

But, if you are where I am at, you know it. We are all going back to work today. The good thing about cold weather is that I have plenty of sweaters and scarves to wear this week and I will! The bad thing is it is to work and home, cause I'm not shopping when it is this chilly and the roads bumpy and snowy still. Cold weather is good for the gas companies though isn't it!

Snowed In!

Could not make it to work today. The tall guy did get the older twin to his job at the prison this morning, but that is it. He and the younger twin are out now picking up prescriptions for grandma and picking the older one up from the job.

Our stupid neighbor has his van stuck right in the middle of the road, and has pretty much abandoned it, so no one can come down the street from the main road. What an idiot, but that is the way they are.


I got up at the regular time, got all but dressed and decided that I was not even going to try it! Do you think I spent the day knitting? No, spent the day cleaning my living room and dining room and putting away the Thanksgiving decor and putting up a little Christmas stuff.

And since I did put some Christmas out, I have to find a spot for this that was up on the dry sink in the dining room.


Once I get that done, I'm done for the night. I'm going to watch Polar Express tonight, drink some wine, knit a little and read a little if I get that far. Tomorrow, I'll tackle the laundry and maybe by Sunday, we'll be able to get out. Us and the 39,000 people in the city.

Be safe my friends this weekend!

I've Got A New Book

I ordered this from Knit Camp last Summer. I wondered about it a couple of weeks ago. I can't wait to sit and read and look at it. But, that along with the new Lace Book from XRX will have to wait until after the holidays. I just don't have time to divert from my schedule of knitting.

Well, maybe a little diversion, I did knit on the sleeve of the Suspender Sweater a little last night, cause I was too lazy to get up and get the next mitten out of my knitting bag!

I'm Just A Day Behind

Two Christmas projects complete. And only a day behind on my timeline of what I need to knit for this holiday season.

I still need to felt this bag, but I can do that later this week when I am downstairs doing other stuff. This is the first time I used this mitten pattern. It is pretty simple on four needles, but I am not entirely happy with the crotch of the thumb. I am going to investigate other patterns and see how they handle them.

Back to knitting....why do I wait until the last month of the year to knit my holiday gifts? Why is it I don't work on them the other eleven months of the year?

What Do You Think?

I am knitting on a felted bag. Always in the past, I have knitted the ICord straps, felted them and then cut a small hole in the bag after felting and fed them through. Lately, I have been thinking about knitting the ICord straps and feeding them through prior to felting. I wonder if that will work.

What do you think?

P.S. The boss let us leave at 3:00 yippee skippy! It's the weekend!!

Coffee and Sweaters Go Together

Now, that it is getting chilly at night, I've been having a pot of coffee at night while I sit and knit. A friend introduced me to the one on the right before I went Decaf. I loved it, but alas, with the Dr telling me to go decaf all the way I was bumbed. But, look what she got me for my birthday!!!

I'm in heaven. Well, for a little while at night!

Can It Be Done?


These are my yarns that must be knittied prior to the holidays. Well, not all of them, because there is a couple I have still find. Can it be done? And will I need to sacrifice the knitting of the Round the Bend Sweater to complete them?

Starting on the left and going clockwise: Scarf (in the round), Scarf and Mittens, Mittens (two pairs), Baby Sweater (this could wait until Xmas 2007 or the baby's first birthday in 2007, cause it goes up to a size 2), Felted Booga Bag, Pocket Scarf, Flip Socks and Socks. Then add in, five other pairs of mittens, can you tell this is a mitten year? I must clothe the world in mittens this year!

Seriously, can this be done? I count 15 items that I want to knit before the holidays get here. My timeline is Wednesday, December 20th for most of these.

Keep tuned for updates.

Will This Sweater Ever Be Done?

I've been knitting on it since Knit Camp. I am down to the last sleeve. And then I will just have to weave the side seams.

There have been a few false starts on the last sleeve. Mainly, because I was not paying attention to the directions and to my notes. Twice, I skipped vital information.

I want to finish it before Thanksgiving. Tomorrow, you will see why!

He Got It!

The older twin got the job at the Federal Prison. He starts on the 27th. He's excited. I pleased if that is what he wants.

To be continued.

I Have Some Great Friends

I know I keep saying it, but it bares repeating or is that bears repeating? Yesterday, was my 49th birthday. But it all started Thursday night. My good friend Norma took me out to eat. Chinese. I do believe it is my favorite food. I ate what I wanted and ignored that I was a Weight Watcher. Then we continued the celebration at Knit Night with some decadent cake. Ummmm, I can still recall it. My knitting friends helped me celebrate with my favorite past time knitting. Jan called from Texas. Those ladies are the best, what more can I say. We are all different but yet the same.


And look what I can now add to my collection of Snoopy apparel (casual days at work will see me sporting my new holiday sweatshirt) and adding to my collection of knitting figurines was this new statute. Isn't is just the coolest!


Then, yesterday, my pals at work helped me celebrate all day long. It started with Maria baking me my all time favorite cake - pineapple upside down cake! She got up yesterday and made it! That girl is something else! At lunch, my coworkers in the back bought me lunch from Bellacinos and then we celebrated again at 3:00 with Ice Cream! Again, WW went out the window. And this is what my pals at work gave me along with just a ton of cards.

How lucky am I? Words cannot express it.

Then last night, after grocery shopping Bob, Willie and I went up to Goodfella's and made Roger cook pizza for us. I had to buy, but it was a nice end to a great day! I am blessed....but the birthday is not over yet. Tomorrow night, we are going to celebrate with Bob's family and my mom.

I Had Great Plans For Today

I was going to accomplish so much. But other than vacuuming and sewing the button on this little bib I knitted, I have not done much but eat and sleep in the chair. I was going shopping, but decided to just spend the day at home getting things caught up.


But, yesterday, was such a long day. I was up at 3:30, making sure the boys were up and moving and delivering signs to polling places. Back to bed around 4:15 and finally to give it up and got up about an hour later. Got ready and went into the campaign office and spent the day on the phone reminding voters to get out and vote.

Then from there to the party where I stayed til the end. Ate too much, drank just a little beer and was hoping to celebrate a victory that did not come. It was an interesting experience, I'm sorry our friend Ernie did not win. He worked hard and is an exceptional man. His family worked really hard for more than six months. It's too bad that the other man did not win. I don't believe he is the right man for the job, and of course, I'll be watchin!

Get Out And Vote!

I early voted in late October. So, this morning, I am off to help out in our friend Ernie Russell's Campaign office. He is running for Senate in the 46th District here in Illinois. We are hopeful.

The boys were up this morning at 3:30 putting out signs at Polling Places. And they will be back out at 9:00 a.m. knocking on doors encouraging Pekinites to vote.

It's going to be a long day, and I'm taking tomorrow off to recover and maybe knit a bit.

Vote today. And if you can, vote for Ernie Russell!

Enough!

This is a collection of what I knitted yesterday for the Girls Holiday Bash give aways and raffle. I'm done for now. I do have a couple of scarves in the works for gifts but those are not like these.
After spending a day knitting on the scarves and couple of flip flops, I celebrated with this.


I was going to sit and look at my new book that came yesterday, but after celebrating with a couple of those above, I never made it to the book.

Today, I am going to tackle the baby sweater and see how far I can get it done. When it is done, I'm back to knitting for me and those four holiday gifts that must be accomplished!

I've Been In Scarf Mode

Every year we have a Holiday Bash for Girls only at the College. And starting this year, I am one of the organizers. I am kind of known for the scarves I have and make, so this year, I thought I'd see how many I can get done and donate as door prizes. That is if I don't sell them at a Bazaar that we normally have. So, I need to do more since I don't know the date of the Bazaar yet. Most of these can be done in a night, since I am using size 13 needles and small amount of stitches.

But tonight at Knit Night, I'm back to working on my Suspender Sweater. If the weather lately is any indication, I better get it done, cause it's been chilly lately and it can only get colder!

If You Could Not Tell By My License Plate

Then surely you will know that I knit by the car magnet I bought. Don't you just love it?! I got the Holiday Patternworks catalog yesterday. I'm going to sit down and take a gander at it. It reminds me I have to get busy on my holiday knitting.

This is a contract is my back yard. On the one hand, it is definitely Fall. On the other tree, it's not quite ready to concede. With 70 degrees predicted for tomorrow, the tree on the left may know something. What weather we have been having! The best though, today it is sun shiny and blue skies!

Cardinals Win!!!!!

I Really Am Knitting

I just don't have anything to show for it. I'm doin alot of baby knitting at the moment. But, none of it is to the point where I want to show it off. The ensemble that I was knitting for the baby's dedication has been put on hold. I'm not sure it can be accomplished in a month, well I am almost sure it can't, cause I have all this other stuff I want to get done at the same time.

Like what? A couple of scarves for the Girls' Holiday Bash. A couple of pair of flip flops for the Girls' Holiday Bash. Some sox for special people for the holidays. A scarf for the gal back in Receiving. A scarf for a lady who used to work with us for Christmas. A scarf for another friend at work (she loves em).

And then I want/need to finish my Suspender Sweater.

There is just way too much to do again and so little time!

Fall Is Here

The weather says it is so. My new banner (that was part of my early birthday present) says it so. And the leaves on the trees definitely are saying it so.
Even though, yesterday, I broke out the sweaters and the turtlenecks. I've decided that I am going to take advantage of the coolness and wear them early and I am going to wear them often.

Why be cold?

Pull those sweaters out and wear them!

Cardinals Win! Baseball continues....which gives me some good t.v. to knit by!

I Was Sweatin It

This is what I had left of the contrast color for the Suspender Sweater. I thought I would have enough, but I was worried all the same. Only 1/2 half to go. Sounds like a good thing, huh, but man 1/2 can take some time. Then, I have to weave live stitches to live stitches together on the side seams in garter stitch. That should be interesting.

My Birthday Can Early

Our friend Jan was here for a brief visit and brought me my birthday present early. Isn't it cute? A wine glass with Woodstock on it. Trust me, it will get good use.

It was a short visit, and there wasn't near enough time to get all caught up. She looks good and has been traveling around quite a bit. Thats what retirement is all about.

It's Been Jacket Weather Around Here

But, look what I got in the mail. Knitter's new Jacket book. They may not be making it for me in the magazine venue, but lately their books have been pretty good. Sure, I wasn't going to buy another book. And sure, I could go back through my old Knitter's and find some of these sweaters, but having them so handy in one place is great.

I can't wait to start some of them, but not until Round the Bend AND the Suspender Sweater is finished...okay and then there is the two baby things...okay and some sox...well, let's not forget the scarves for Christmas. Okay, maybe in January.

I Picked Up A Couple of New Magazines

I keep thinking that I might subscribe to Vogue. Right now, there is not much that I want to knit out of it. The reason I have been even giving it a look, is quite frankly, because Meg is writing an article for them. If it were not for her article, I probably would not subscribe, I'd just look at it Barnes and Noble and make an issue by issue decision.
I do like Interweave Knits. I don't subscribe to it either, but I find myself buying each issue as it comes out too. They have some good articles and this Holiday issue has a scarf I want to make. Funny, though, the same scarf is in a book I own. I guess I should have looked at it first before buying....

The only magazine I do subscribe to is Knitter's. I keep thinking they will surprise me and give me more, but so far, not. I skim through the designs and again I am just not excited. The articles can be good at times, but I have to confess after having my new issue a few weeks, I still have not went back to it to read them. But yet, I won't give up my subscription. You never know when an emerging desinger will come along out of Knitter's and I will want to go back to the beginning of time to see what they have done.

Baby Knitting Update

After spending time at my niece's last week, I decided the baby needed a sweater like now! So, I am knitting on this one for immediate gift giving. I hope to have it done in a week so I can send it up to her while there is still a chill in the air and before he grows out of it.

And then I changed my mind yet again on the colors for this ensemble that I want to give her when we go up at Thanksgiving. When I went to the yarn shop, they did not have more of the blue in the dye lot I had so I decided to change my mind (with the help of the lady who was sitting in) The blue is still going to be the pants, but I am going to use the turq as you can see for the body of the wrap sweater and will add the salmon to the mix.

Today is catch up day, cause yesterday when I wasn't going over to Morton for a 16" needle for the first sweater, I sat around and read and watched the ballgames with the t.v. muted. It would have been great knitting t.v., but for some reason I just wanted to read. I think it is out of my system now. I gotta get caught up. And with today being kind of dreary to start with, it's a great day to hole up and do it.
I want to make a couple of Weight Watcher soups too, so we'll have them to eat on this week. Oy, I hope I get it all done!

Lot's To Blog About

But no time to do it today. This weekend is going to be catch up weekend. I am going to hole up in the house and get some stuff organized. This week has just sped by, and nothing was accomplished!

Tune in later.....

I'm Off!

To see the new baby boy in Aurora. Pictures tomorrow. It's a quite a drive for just a couple of hours, cause I have to be back at 4:30 for a Birthday party. But, well worth it to see him before Thanksgiving. It's just me going, but thats the breaks for today.

Went to the yarn shop yesterday. Changed my mine on the colors of the baby enesemble just a bit. Hmmm, I wonder what color I chose for the main part of the baby sweater? The pink is all gone. And two different colors were added back in!

It's A Boy!

My niece had a boy. That now makes 1 Girl and 4 Boys that I have for Great Niece and Nephews. Will I ever get to walk the pink aisle again?
So, now this is being torn out.
For the blue on top.
The pink will now be an accent on the romper and hat with the rest of it going to the stash pile for the future.

Finished!

I was going to begin hunting down buttons for my Lumpy Bumpy Cardigan, but somehow, I just knew I'd never find the right ones. So, I took the pattern's suggestion and made yarn ones. And I like em. Anything else would have taken away from the yarn.

Now, on Saturday, I can go to Knit 4 Together!

Do You Think I Have A Trend Goin Here

I swear I will branch out the next time I buy yarn. It just seems like I can't get away from these shades. But, I do love them! But even I believe it's time to give them a rest.

Reprieve

I've had a reprieve. My niece whose baby is due arount the 12th has already scheduled the dedication of the baby. The Sunday after Thanksgiving. So, once I get the two Meg sweaters completed. I can go back to the baby ensemble. Won't that make a nice dedication present? And by then, I'll know the sex of the baby and can make the right color for the top.

Whew!

The Suspender Sweater

I have both the front panels and the back panels joined. I am now working on the right side. This is one long continuous strip from back lower edge to front lower edge. All worked in garter stitch on a size 5 needle. I have not counted how many stitches, but suffice it to say there are alot of them. It takes a little time to knit one row at a time.

I do love the feel of the yarn. It's Berroco's Ultra Alpaca. I think it is going to feel good when I get a chance to wear it.

Garter Stitch

Seems like I am doing alot of Garter Stitch lately. The Fiesta Shawl I did and gave away before I took a good picture of it. The continuing Round the Bend Jacket (I'm a little tired of it right now and am taking a break from it). I am currently working on the Suspender Sweater (I'm doin the suspenders at the moment, gosh there are alot of stitches there). And finally the baby ensemble.

I like garter stitch, but I am hankering to do something else. But, I am making myself complete a garment before I start something new!

Where Did Summer Go?

I realized this morning that I didn't get a chance to wear any of my summer knitted tops. How did that happen? I completely forgot that I had any.

Next year's Knit Camp Dates are posted on The Schoolhouse Press website!!

Today, I'm off to do some laundry for my mom. Hopefully, when we go to the doctor on Friday, she will be okay to the steps. Will see. It has not been a month yet, so she may not be ready for those yet. At least, when I am up there doing laundry, I get some time to sit and knit.

How did it get to be Sunday all ready? How did it to get be Fall so soon?

Saturday Clean Up

What have I been knitting on this week? Not much of anything. I'm reading the next Gabaldon book and it has sort of been consuming me this week. Instead of knitting at night and early morning, I've been reading. I'm about 1/2 way through.

This morning, I am making myself work on the Round the Bend Sweater. I really want to read, but I am not giving in to the urge. I'm at the second sleeve. My goal is to get the gusset done this morning before I have to get ready to go to a wedding.

With the cool weather that is coming today and this next week, it makes me want to wear some of my sweaters so I need to get busy on this one. There is also a sweater jacket downstairs I want to pull out and get finished. All it needs is sewing up and I could wear it this Fall too.

The baby ensemble will not be finished on time. I'm becoming selfish and going to knit for myself and probably save the baby ensemble for future grand children I might have.

Got to run now, times awasting! Fall is coming!

I Thought It Was A Good Idea

The directions on the band suggested rolling it into a ball due to the the slippary yarn. So, I figured it might be a little wild coming off of the ball as I knitted it. I thought I might have a new invention, so I took a plastic container, punched a hole in it, put the ball in the container, fed the yarn through the hole put the and the lid on top. Contain the yarn, right? Wrong, the ball was too large and would not roll around in the container while I knit. So, I abandoned the idea for now. Next time, I'll start with a bigger container!

The Next Project Before Yarn Shopping

I thought I'd get done in time today to go to Dunlap, but with the parade starting late and having to do some laundry for my mother, it just did not happen. So, I'm working on another of my projects (in between the Round the Bend Jacket) that I bought yarn from them earlier this summer.
This is going to be a shawl and I think a nice plain black dress would be appropriate. I'd love to have it done by next weekend when I have a wedding to go to. We'll see. I don't have the black dress either so we'll doubley see! With everything going on next weekend - Canton parade in the morning and wedding in the afternoon, I know I won't get to Dunlap next week.

So, it looks like at least two weeks before I get to Knit 4 Together. Fall should be arriving by then don't ya think?

I Wonder If Anyone Will Notice?


I went and had my earpiece from my sunglasses put on my regular glasses. I thought I could make it 2 weeks without my glasses but I soon discovered how much I was missing out! Do you see it? It's at the very top of my sleeve. Now, I can read with out holding the book across the room!

I've started the second half of Round the Bend Jacket. I am also using my new markers that my friend Julie sent me. I forgot how

First Half Is Done


It took me just shy of two months. And yes, there was a pair of sox knitted during that time, the Lumpy Bumpy Sweater was finished and I knit quite a bit on the baby sweater too.

There were a couple of rip outs and reknits during the process. I hope the second half goes a little faster. I've lost interest in the baby ensemble at the moment. I'll hate myself later. For now, I've just cast on the other sleeve of the Round the Bend.

Happy Labor Day!

The sun is temporarily shining. I hope it lasts until at least late this afternoon. The boys and I are walking in Peoria's Labor Day Parade for Ernie Russell. And I'd like to stay dry while I am doing it!

I spent most of yesterday working on the last turn of the first half of Round the Bend jacket. I can't tell you how many times I have tore that last turn out and reknitted it. The problem is I have more stitches than I am suppose to. And the directions say I should only have four. I had a little trouble figuring out from the directions where I was supposed to be decreasing. So late last night, I got the tape out. Now, I know exactly where they go and am currently decreasing.

I hope to be joining the piece tonight and starting on the second half. You know when Labor Day gets here it signifies that Fall is just around the corner. And sweaters need to be knitted. Sure, there are going to be some warm days yet, but the way the year has been going, snow will be flying before we know it. I'd like to have the Round the Bend done before then.

The baby ensemble sits and waits for me. It is on a deadline, but at the moment, I want to be knitting something else!

Have a great day!

Now I Can Go Shopping

I had myself a deal. I could not go back to Dunlap to shop until I finished something that I had bought from them. With the sitting with my mom, I finished this yesterday. All it needs is some buttons. That could be the hardest part of it all!
The yarn is called Lumpy Bumpy. The color is Fall Flowers. It does not remind me of Fall Flowers at all. Really, what caught my eye initially, is the bright bright green in the colorway. What a surprise! The sleeves on mine may be just a tad short when the arm is bent, but when hanging down they are just right. I think this helps keep the sweater from looking so sloppy.

The original sweater is from Point Five Yarn. I do remember scoping it out once. It was quite expensive. The original sweater called for ten balls of Point Five which has 54 yds to each. The Lumpy Bumpy is 150 yards.
Now, I really need to return to the baby ensemble, but another finishing project is calling me. Maybe I'll dig it out and take it with me today.

Socks For Norma

I love it when I don't have to think too hard for a birthday present. Some gifts are really hard to decide on. Sometimes I get stuck in a rut and all the women get jewelry (lia sophia of course). But, Norma is one that easy to do. She likes getting socks and even gave me the yarn to do them out of. Now, I don't have to ponder over what yarn next to make them out of.

Back to the Baby Project!