Just A Few Things

I have been very good lately. I went to two yarn shops yesterday and managed to come home with a couple of patterns, needles and some really cool buttons for the two green sweaters that I am working on.



I love these buttons!

I did not find the button I need for the pink Rachel's sweater from Cheryl Oberle's Knitted Jackets.

Oh and two skeins of alpaca/angora that are going to make their way into double mittens.

I discovered this past week when it was 30 below that gloves just don't do it. I find myself going down the road with my hands bunched up in the hand part of the glove to keep them warm.

And yes, I have a green thing going right now. Caribe Blue is still my favorite, but so much of what I see right now is green green green.

Another One Blocked!

Now, I just need to sew the buttons on it. Maybe, I'll get that done tonight. It sure would be nice to wear it tomorrow!

The high is going to be -3, yes minus three! I definitely have been wearing the sweaters this week!

I Don't Need Anymore Unspun

but, just look at this new color from Schoolhouse Press! What are they trying to do to me?

Charts or Written?

Sometimes, I knit from charts. Most of the time I like to either write a repeating pattern on notecards or a spiral thingy of index cards. Then I use my hand dandy holder that Marv made and sit them next to me, flipping through them.

All I have to do is glance, well actually turn my whole head (trifocals) at the written word and knit it. It works for me.

The Color of Green

My latest deal with myself is to switch projects one ball at a time. Both of them are green. Sunday's knitting was on the Debbie Bliss. Last night I was so pooped after work, that I did not even knit.

Last night I was so pooped after work, that I did not even knit. Just came home, ate, sat in the chair, slept in the chair AND woke up when wrestling was on.

Whats with that?

I do like this switchin ball thing. It makes me NOT want to start something new. Strange.

On the 12th Day of Vacation

I prepared myself for a new year of work abd other things. While in the shower, (where I do some of my best thinkin), I made a mental list of things that needed to be tackled at work. I actually am ready to go back to work. Right now, I like my work and 12 days off was good, but it told me that I am not yet ready for retirement. I do like the time off, but old habits creep in if you are not careful.

So, with that said, I started WW journaling. Made a plan to go back and weigh in today and face the music. Planned for getting back to lunchtime walking with a friend (you know to help her out) and healhier eating than in the last 12 days.

I feel good, my list is in hand, lets do it!

On the 11th Day



I used the fan in the yarn room to my advantage. I can turn it on, turn the light off and let it run most of the day. And not be cold.

So, Rachel's jacket is closer and closer to being a finished project. It will just need a wow big button now.

I'll look for that later next week.


The latest in my green fix. Three Sisters Jacket. I am switching back and forth on it and the Debbie Bliss Jacket also in a green. On day 11, I knitted one skein of Cascade on this jacket, Day 12 will be the Debbie Bliss Jacket.

On the 10th Day of Vacation

reality set in. I had to go to the grocery store... It was not a fun day. Everybody seemed to be out. The cashier it was a combo of the 1st of the month and day after a holiday that everyone took off.

It was not a fun day.

On the 9th Day of Vacation

I spent New Year's afternoon with my knitting friends. What a great afternoon it was.

Presents taken, presents received, knitting, good food and great friends.


Norma got her Hanukkah socks, kind of like the yearly coconut.

This yarn was Trekking bought on the Indy trip last October. I have her birthday yarn already and I think next year's Hanukkah socks as well. Maybe, I'll get a headstart on them? They could be my lunchtime knitting projects. Since Norma isn't there, she won't know what they look like!

Carol gifted me with two skeins of yarn. I see a scarf out of them.

Maybe the Diagonal Scarf, maybe the ribbed scarf with another color or two tossed in. I'll be thinking on that one. This could be my next car knitting project.

Char brought her new grandson to be's blanket. It is shown here unblocked, but it is so beautiful even just finished. 1800 stitches in the end? What a labor of love! Simply amazing.

Once it is blocked, I'll get a picture of the finished product with the knitter for the blog.

What a great New Year's Day it was. Isn't it said somewhere that how you spend New Year's Day is how you will spend the year? Or did I invent that one? Either way, it was a great day that must mean it will be a great year!

On the 8th Day of Vacation

Happy New Year! Every New Year's Eve, I get out my knitting journal and tally up to see what I accomplished for the past year. I was surprised at the list this year. It was not as much as I thought I had accomplished. It sure did seem like I knitted an awful lot.

Here's the 2008 list:

Scarves - 2
Sox - 2
Sweaters - 4
Baby - 4
Shawls - 2
Vests - 2
Little Stockings - 4
And a newly added line item, started but still waiting: 13

2009 Thoughts
Finish or rip out! Espcecially the 13 started in 2008
Be almomst Monogamous in my knitting projects
Stash Reduction
Knit More
Eat Less
Run in Memphis next December

Happy New Year to all. We have been so blessed this past year. I wish that for all.

On the 7th Day of Vacation

I had a perfect day. I slept in. The sun was shining. I was alone! Everyone else was at work.

I popped Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell CD in the player, cranked it up and decided to tackle the blocking of one of Carol's Clever Little Shawl.

As you can tell, it didn't happen! I don't seem to have any pins that will hold down the points for blocking. So, that did not discourage me, I just moved onto something else.

Decided to sit and catch up on another Stash and Burn Podcast. That got me into trouble. They sent me to Ravelry (the time sucker) and before I knew it, I was joining another group. That is where Linda caught me.

We had a great phone conversation (I cannot believe how tuned in to each other we were). It was a great pick up to an already great day.

Finally, I got into taking my tree down, took a shower, got dressed and plopped myself down with a book!

The tall guy and Baby Boy B came home from work....and I was still giddy as to what a great day I had. Sometimes you just need that!

On the Sixth Day of Vacation

was pizza and celebrating with friends from work. And reading. And absolutely no knitting.....and the realization that the 12 days of vacation are half way over!

Time to get serious.

On the Fifth Day of Vacation

I discovered how handy these pattern tamers could be for holding my spot in a knitting book. When I bought them back last Summer, I thought they looked liked a good idea for following charts.

The first time I tried them, I wondered if I had made a mistake. I sat them aside until this weekend, when I needed something to hold my spot in the book. Voila! Not such a bad idea.

I did not knit at all on the fifth day, instead I caught up on some much needed magazine reading. That now complete, I started swatching the Debbie Bliss after midnight, which technically is the sixth day.

We had a sickie in the house on the fifth day. I hope it stays confined to that one!

On the 3rd and 4th Day of Vacation

I watched t.v and knitted. I love these Marathons on USA. Friday I spent the day watching House and Saturday I spent the day watching NCIS. In my jammies until I absolutely HAD to get dressed to grocery shop and then celebrate my mom and my nephew's birthday. I see a trend here!

Through all of the great t.v. I got to finish Rachel's Jacket on Day 4. It needs some blocking and I will be on the search for a perfect button to close it when I venture out.

Actually, I have about four things that now need blocking. I should really get to that this week while I am off as well.

Who would of thought a week ago when we were in the deep freeze with ice freezing the parking lots like ice skating rinks that not a week later we would be having tornado warnings, 60 degree weather and rivers overflowing?

Now, I'm not complaining because I am glad to see the stuff gone! But, it sure did look a little gray on Day 4.

But, I stayed dry and had my knitting. I was going out to Dunlap for soup, but felt a touch under the weather so I stayed home. I think it was just my stomach telling me I had been eating way too much sugar!

On The Second Day of Vacation

It was a different kind of Christmas. Since the kids were home on Monday, we celebrated like it was Christmas then. My mom came down for lunch with the three of us and I ate myself silly.

I'm becoming a monagomous knitter these days. Even though, I want to cast on with the Debbie Bliss Tweed, I am knitting away on Rachel's jacket from Cheryl Oberle.

Thats my new yarn scale I'm holding there. It already has come in handy.

On The First Day of Vacation

I worked on Rachel's Jacket from Cheryl Oberle's new book Knitted Jackets. This one is going fast and I love the feel of the mohair yarn.


While knitting I downloaded some new podcasts for on my iPod. And watched the video of the wedding and reception that the kids gave us for Christmas. It was fun to watch it.

On Monday, when the kids were here, we opened presents and I got just what I wanted. Speakers for my iPod. It is come in quite handy on the first day of vacation.

Day 1 was perfect. Stayed in my jammies until almost 4:00 when we had to get ready to go to Christmas Eve dinner at the in-laws. What a great day!

Merry Christmas!

Twelve Days

Not of Christmas, but of vacation. I don't have to go back to work for 12 days!

What will I do? Since I cleaned really well last weekend before we celebrated Christmas with the kids and family, I don't have to do that.

So, I have plans to knit and knit and watch some DVDs -- some of them movies, some of the knitting and just catch up on some things.

Now, there are also plans to eat. It seems about every other day I'll be eating somewhere, sometimes twice a day...here's my unofficial rundown.

24th, Tonight, Christmas Eve with the in-laws.
25th Tomorrow, Christmas Lunch with my mom.
27th - Soup at Knit Four Together in Dunlap (weather permitting) at noon, later that day, celebrate my mom's and nephew's birthday
29th - Pizza and get together with some girls I work with at noon, later that night celebrating a friend's daughter's 21st birthday at Goodfella's with beer and pizza
1st - New Year's Day Fun and Knitting


January 2nd!!!! Done....start preparing for going back to work and Weight Watchers.

It's going to be a great 12 days!

Just Another Wild Hair


I did not get the intended stocking done for DIL, but I did make four of these little stockings for the ladies in Accounting. I wasn't going to do them, but then had a wild thought that I could use up some cookies and candies (in little packages) that we received as a gift. That and a couple of them gave me a little something and instead of just saying thanks, I felt like I should do something for them.

What the heck and they were kind of fun.

DIL didn't mind that she had a temporary stocking

Happy Hanukkah!

It's Beautiful


But damn, it's cold outside (high of 6 degrees). I am staying in today. I have a list. I'm cleaning the kitchen, bathroom, yarn room and vacuuming the house. The kids from Memphis will be in very early Monday. They will stay for about a day and leave tomorrow night for Quincy. Then home Tuesday night. Baby Boy A has to work at 6 am Wednesday. It makes me tired just thinking about it!

We'll celebrate tomorrow at noon with the grandparents at our house. We celebrated last night with my neice and the tall guy's sister's house. This is going to be one celebrating Christmas!

We're off tomorrow to celebrate, back to work on Tuesday and then I'm off til the first week of January. This is gonna be nice. Lots of knitting on my schedule!

Keep warm everybody!

It's Been A Long Day

Spent the entire day at the hospital with MIL. Waiting, trying a couple of different possibilities of stockings for DIL for Monday. And watching the weather. The endless wait for a doctor to come in and the endless wait for promised sleet and ice.

Finally, the doctor came, released her to go home, and thank goodness no ice and sleet until about an hour ago. No stocking completed either, but I have narrowed it down to the just the purple yarn and am back with my original plan. Now, I just have to complete it by Monday. Hopefully, we won't lose power with this stupid storm.

Not sure if I'll go to work first thing tomorrow morning. I may sit it out until the weather warms up. So that would give me some time to work on the stocking. For now, I'm going to bed, I am tired!

Back To


Finally, I have some things to blog about besides the weather. Oh, there is weather to report, but that can wait, I have knitting to report. Finished the little hat for my great niece for Saturday. Wasn't real difficult, but still I can check it off of the list.

Also, can't show you what it WAS in this bag, but lets just say it is also finished. Now, if the weather would just cooperate for Thursday night and the Radical Knitters then I can show you what was in the bag.

One more Christmas thing to knit and it is for Monday and then I can go back to ME knitting!

I Couldn't Resist!

I don't know if the book is any good or not, but the cover jacket front and back made me buy it.

"SoCal's newesthotspot isn't a bar or a club, it's the beachside knitting shop at Malibu & Ewe" It clearly has a knitting theme and of course my other fave - the beach! I hope it is worth reading. I'll let you all know and will share when I am finished.

Tomorrow, I am off to some shoppin...I hope to have the knittin friends done by days end.

Sorry I'm Busy Knitting

Nothing to show, nothing to report, just busy knitting some last minute presents.

And wearin my sweaters since it is starting to get cold again!

More later

Visions of Gift Giving Is Dancin In My Head

19 days til Christmas, 14 days til the kids are supposed to be here for a quick Christmas. And I am just now thinkin of all the cool things I could knit for the daughter-in-law.

Why? Because finally, things should be calming down and I have a chance to think. I don't have my tree up but I do have the rest of the decorating done. The Girls Holiday Bash is over for another year. Although work is still busy, I should not be working 11 hour days now. It should settle to about 9 hours instead.

I'm off to Dunlap today to pick up some yarn for another Carol's Clever Shawl (love those things) and a couple of other things that are on my list.

It's cold here in Central IL and just a snow shower here and there are predicted. Winter is here and OUT come the sweaters to be worn!

Memphis Knitting

As always I packed too much knitting for the Memphis trip, but here is what I did accomoplish.

Who would have known how long it takes to knit 7 inches? This was my car knitting down and back (when not sleeping). But when it is boring garter and you have 160 stitches to go back and forth on it takes a bit of time

I'm finally on the downhill stretch on it. I am on the sleeve and then just have to do the icord around the fronts and neck. I hope to have it finished by the weekend.
This hat I have already torn out, I think it was just too big for a two month old. And I am not so crazy about the pink Debbie Bliss color. Love the cashmerino, but just think the pink is kind of dull and dark. It just looks dirty to me.

The one thing I did finish. This is also from the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Pink. It is the Squash hat from 101 Designer One Skein Book. After I finished it, it seemed to me a little small for a head that is going to grow over the next few months. She would not get much wear out of it.

So, instead I am going to give it to a co-worker for her new granddaughter to be.

Back to the drawing board on a winter hat for the two month old.

Whats This Stuff?

Not exactly what I wanted to see on the last day of November. Does this mean we are going to have 30 snows for the season? When I heard a Winter Storm Watch I was surprised. I thought it was just suppose to be some slushy stuff.

The weatherman was telling us that some areas around us got 6 inches. I guess I should be grateful we just got a bit. I'm not quite ready for this!

We're Back!

It was a great trip. This was the kid's first Thanksgiving in their new house and was full of new experiences for them, my mom and for us.


A first time for Baby Boy A to cook the turkey and carve it. He did a pretty good job on both. Of course, he had a little help from his dad on determining whether it was done or not. His brother spent the night at their house so I am sure he also helped in getting it all set up outside for cooking too.

Have to give the men credit where it is due.











The two of them are perfect together. She is quite the baker and made the pies as well as the mashed and sweet potatoes.

And she knows the way to her mother-in-law's heart. She checked to see what time Yarniverse was opening on Friday to see if I could make a trip there before we headed out. She's good, I think we'll keep her.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Off To Memphis

Tomorrow in the wee hours of the morning, we are off to Memphis to spend Thanksgiving with Baby Boy A and his wife. Baby Boy B and my mom are going with us. This is the first time in a LONGGGGG time that we have been gone for Thanksgiving. We are all looking forward to it.

Do you think I have enough projects for the trip down and back?

New Books
On a whim, I went into Barnes and Noble to see if they had the new Cheryl Oberle jacket book on Saturday. I looked at several of their books and pulled out Cheryl's without even really noticing it. I started to put it back and realized what I had in my hand.>This is a fantastic book and there are several I want to make out of it like right now.

Like this one out of the pink mohair and tweed Cascade 220 I have been toying with for a couple of months. It originally was going to be a simple cardigan, but I think the tightness of the gauge was going to make it a really heavy sweater. This one from Cheryl's book is perfect I think. I am just whipping up a swatch first and then will decide where to go from there.
While perusing the books I came upon this Debbie Bliss book too so as an early Christmas present to myself I bought it too. It has a great coat in it and a couple of neat sweaters for future knitting purposes. Not for right now, but maybe later.

Remember Last Saturday

I was quite pleased that I walked out of the yarn shop with nothing! Remember that? Well, not so much this week. I went over to Dunlap to get some baby yarn.
Which I did. For Lila Rose for Christmas for a sweater and hat. And yarn for an immediate hat!. These days babies are so snuggled into their car seats and put into warm cars that they don't need much in coats. But, when we were up there a couple of weeks ago, the poor girl had a borrowed hat and was not very girlie at all. And Auntie Pen did not have any girlie yarn.

I have been looking at a couple of sweaters out of the Debbie Bliss magazine for sometime. And not being real imaginative on color and wanting to do this for someone, I had an ah ha moment. I have a daughter-in-law. Who likes purple. So I ordered this Debbie Bliss silk yesterday for this sweater.

I don't have to have it done for Christmas, so I ordered the yarn to be knit later. Now, I can hardly wait til it comes in. But, it will be a couple of weeks with the holiday and all.

One of the others that I have been repeatedly looking at is this sweater for me from the Debbie Bliss magazine. I had some birthday money and so I finally decided to order it for me. In the green. It was a toss up between the blue and the green.

Since I just finished a blue coat, I thought I do a change and go with the green.
The color card shows a little lighter green than the in the picture and I am hoping that is the case with my yarn when it comes in.

In the mean time, I got a thing or two to knit for Christmas so I had better make the most of my couple of weeks and get them accomplished.

This Is Unusual


Yesterday, I got both my Knitters and Interweave Knits. I thumbed through both starting with Knitters. Normally, after the thumb through of Knitters, I toss it in the pile to file and grumble about what is in it.



Then I turn to Interweave Knits and oooh and ahh over what is in it and make a list of what I would like to knit. Not this time. It was just the opposite. This time Knitters will get a second look and I'll just go back to IK for the articles.

Even the ads seemed to look better in Knitters this time.