Recipe For a Good Day

So, you take a cup or more of coffee.

Add some Dove Chocolates and let them melt in your mouth.

A blustery Sunday.

 Lots of leaves that are just blowing.

 And making a moat at your back door.

Add in an afghan to knit on that will keep the knees warm.

And you have a perfect day for just doing nothing. My wrappers from Dove chocolates solidified it.

"Indulge your sense of enjoyment."  "You're invited to relax today" 

And I did!

Happy Veteran's Day

Happy Birthday to Me and the Marine Corps!

Craftsy and Pinterest

Or also bonus Wednesday websites!  I am not sure if I have mentioned Craftsy.com on the blog, but I do know that  I have posted about Pinterest when I first found it.

When first stumbling across Pinterest, it sucked up a lot of my internet time.  So many cool things out there and places to stash them for future references. I have not been on it as much lately, because I have just not had the time.  But tonight, I was going through all of the sites I visit through my bookmarks just to see whats new.

And because I had been following Craftsy.com on Pinterest, there were a lot of pins referencing craftsy.  And most of them are little quick videos featuring Stephanie Japel.  Of course, they are really just wetting our appetites for Stephanie's video classes on craftsy, but there are some good hints out there.  I am going to head back over and take a look see at some of them.

I signed up earlier this fall for the photography class over on craftsy.  I've still to complete watching it all, but thats the fun of craftsy.  I can go back to it whenever I feel like it. 

I love a good class and from the comfort of my nice little chair.  And at my leisure too.  I wonder what else is over there?  Internet, the great time sucker, but I love it.

Wednesday Website

http://knottyknittersforautism.com/

I Love It When This Happens

My label with color and dye lot.

What came from Webs.  Yea!  Which leads me to think that Liberty Wool only had one dye lot, but I am okay with that.

 My Elizabeth sweater, which is very similar to a Debbie Bliss sweater I knitted a few years ago and is sitting on my dummy waiting to be sewn up.  Very interesting.

I'm going to keep knitting on it until or unless I find something better that I should knit with it.  That sure seems to be happening quite a lot these days...call in multi-purposing yarn decisions.

Strike One

Christening Shawl is off the list.  There is just not enough time and too many other things that need to be knitted before Christmas.  Pair that with the fact that I have knit Mona Lisa two blankets already, I think that is sufficient.

The afghan for my great-niece is getting along, but there is still a lot of knitting to do on it.  I think I've got a plan on the colors to be used to get the most out of what she has given me. 

 My package from Schoohouse Press came today with my kit for Mona Lisa's Christmas stocking.  This is going to be one of those things you knit a bit at a time.  Or tomorrow night when there is nothing on until Sons of Anarchy, it might be a good time to cast on.

I didn't realize until tonight when I was actually looking at the pattern that it has an afterthought heel.  That will be some great fun to try out!

Also in today's mail was the yarn for Mona Lisa's Christmas coat or dress (yet to be decided) and her Mary Janes. 

I am so glad that I took the Christening Shawl off of my list!!

It's Sunday, It's A New Week

In my very first blog post ever, I think I said if I am posting, it means I am not knitting.  How true!  This could also be read as if I am on the computer, I am knitting which means I am in trouble.  Because as everyone well knows, I do not need yarn, patterns, needles, inspiration or new projects started.  I am blessed with plenty of all of these.

I sat down last night and made some decisions before heading off to bed.  Some of them I wrote down, some of them I just mulled around in the head.  Most of them you have all heard before, but as always in the pjknits recovery plan, I am back at step one.

Christmas is coming and my knitting list while not super large it still  has some major things on it.  I really have to concentrate on them.  They all have time lines as to finish dates which I penned down last night so I know what I have to knit on first. Along with a niece who is having a baby late Feb/early March that will require some knitting for the shower right after the first of the year and a couple of friends who are having first grandchildren that will require some baby knitting - that peapod thingy is going to be my staple!  Which brought me to the decision that there was a KAL I just could not commit to until after the new year, even though I have the perfect yarn for it.  One weight lifted.

Several of my Christmas knitting projects are on hold until the perfect yarn is delivered next week so in the mean time, I am still kicking around if I can knit the Christening Shawl for Mona Lisa in a month?  I think it might be doable if I limit my internet access (just like a child might need limitations of t.v. time or computer time these days). 

So right after I publish this post, I am turning off my computer.  I've checked in on my email, my facebook fans, and my Ravelry groups that I always check on.  I am not surfing anymore, and I am not turning it back on today.  I am limiting myself so that I can get some knitting done.

Tomorrow, we start back walking at work and today, I have logged my WW points for a new week.  I started in the wee hours this morning of reading Inspiration for Girlfriends and a page from my WW magazine before going to bed each night.  I'm feeling better although the cough is thinking it is going to be my friend for awhile. I feel good, I have a new plan, and after all it's Sunday and a new week.  Things always look brighter in a new week, don't they?

Chillin!

I'm chillin this weekend.  This cold is kicking me in the butt.  I stayed home from work yesterday.  And today, gave up looking at some cool yarns to just stay home and veg.  It's a dreary cool Central IL day and a naggin cough that won't go away is a good reason to snuggle down, drink some hot beverages, watch junk on t.v and do some knitting.

Actually, it would be nice if the mailman would bring my Web's order today.  I ordered some yarn for Mona Lisa' Xmas dress and some Rowan books, I'd love to be able to sit and look at them today.

The Tale of Many Afghans

A few months ago, my great niece asked me to knit an afghan for her from some yarn her now deceased grandma had and that she acquired.  I have had a hard time deciding which way to go with this afghan for her.  There are three colors of yarn - black, orange and cream.  I did not want to do that conventional afghan, the ripple afghan for her, I just thought it was too old for a young high school girl.

I knew that I wanted to maybe double the yarns and use a big needle, because frankly I did not want to be knitting on this afghan forever.  The yarn is Red Heart so you know how un soft it is.  To soften it up a bit, rather than use two strands of the Red Heart, I am adding a strand of Pacific to the Red Heart and I am pretty pleased with the feel of the knit.

Next problem up was what afghan to do.  I've cast on a few, starting with big blocks.  Thinking that I would transition the colors every few blocks.  It wasn't too long til I decided that just was not it.  I was not able to make a good transition.

Next, I thought, maybe it was the yarn, so I paired two strands of Pacific together.  This afghan is from Done By Monday Afghans.  Two strands of Pacific are so soft together.

But, what I found was that I wasn't using any of the yarn that my niece had given me.    I have set this one aside, and I think I might go back the yarn shop and get more and finish it for us or a present to be named.

 And then came the Webs' catalog.  Yea!  I love getting their catalog in hard copy form.  It is just as good as getting a knitting magazine in the mail!

I found this afghan in their catalog and cast on with a strand of orange Red Heart and a strand of black Pacific (actually I cast on right from the very first afghan that I had started).  This one is a winner for my great niece.  It is going to fit the bill and the transitions are going to go some thing like this:  orange and black, cream and black and orange and cream.

I'll show pictures later down the road.  The plan is to have this done by our Christmas Get Together.  Big needles and 2 strands should do it!

I Should Learn

When my boys were small, it took me a couple of times after they had colds or flu to realize that I wasn't a bad mom if I didn't get down in their faces when they were sick.  Until I learned that lesson, everytime they got a bug, I followed.

So, what did this grandma do last weekend?  Sure, I got down next to Mona Lisa's sweet cheeks even though she had a cold.  And what does Grandma have now?  You guessed it, a nice little cold. 

Mona Lisa has recovered and I will too.  She still is too dang cute even after passing her cold to Grandma!

Happy Halloween

Of Course She Is!

Worth more than $4 and in her grammie's pumpkin hat too!

Happy Fall Day Everyone!

Happy Birthday Sue!

In Two Months, It Is Over!

Yes, two months from today, Christmas 2012 will be over.  Two freaking months, how did it that happen?  It was just 80 degrees two days ago, I'm mean really.

But for a knitter this means it is time to be committing to Christmas knitting.  Actually, I should have already committed to my projects, but no, I've been scampering last night into the wee hours and this morning trying to narrow my projects down.

It has been real tough because almost all of them revolve around Mona Lisa.  I've ripped the yarn room apart looking at books and patterns and possible yarns for her.  I had it in my mind that she needed a knitted dress to go with these cutie booties I have wanted to knit.  And I didn't want to have to buy yarn.  I toyed with a coat too, but decided that is better for spring, after all, when it gets cold, that kid is going to be in something really warm when being transported.  And now after quite a bit of research, I've decided booties will be just fine...she is only going to be 5 months ish at Christmas.



And she needs a stocking at Grandma's if we can work that out, if not, I could wait to finish her stocking later.  So this one is probably on the bottom of the Christmas List for now.

I cannot recall if I blogged about my great niece requesting an afghan out of her deceased grandma's yarn or not?  She did and of course as you can tell it is from Red Heart.  Okay, Linda, yes I am a yarn snob, but I think I have this worked out.  I really want to have this done and out of my hair by the 22nd of December so it is really on the top of the list for now, but certainly not the knit all the time list.

And finally, I have wanted to knit Elefante for a baby forever.  I'm using some of my pastel leftovers of Encore for it.  I am hoping to find a rattle to put in it, I think it would be so cute for a First Christmas.

I've paired down the list quite a bit since I first started thinking about it yesterday.  And I feel good about it!

In the mean time, can I knit a Christening Shawl in a month?  Do I want to?  Do I need to?

Tough Time

I'm having a really tough time this morning.  I really want to cast on and start knitting something out of my Wistful from Briar Rose Fibers.  My practical side (lets call her PS for short) is telling me I can't.  I have projects sitting around me that need my knitting attention.

My impractical side (lets call her IS) is whining that she needs a project that is not knitted on finger weight yarns and small needles to knit on.  (I have three of them on needles).  My PS says she needs a semi-no brainer to knit on when times are called for such a thing.

I wonder who will win out?  Unfortunately, my side that can't figure out what pattern she wants to use, lets call her the DPS (decision paralysis side) is having a really tough time deciding if she were to cast on what pattern to use for it and she is once again kicking herself and wondering why she didn't buy just one more skein, especially after so many recent purchases from Chris has resulted in not enough yarn to do what she really wants to do.

See the problem?  I think I'll go back to bed and take all of my personalities with me.  Because I can do that, I am off until next Tuesday for some much needed me time and baby time in Iowa.

 

Wednesday Website

http://techknitting.blogspot.com/


Monday's post is on putting zippers in knitwear.  I might even try this sometime soon.

Some Finds

While getting some things ready for blocking a couple of weeks ago, I ran into a couple of knitted things that have been waiting for over a year to be blocked.  Just in time I might add, so I blocked one this weekend and discovered that I didn't really need to block the other.

 This little shawlette has an unusal look to it when flat.  I knitted it last year while attending Paula's knitting weekend.  It is out of one ball of Zauerball and has possibilites of different ways to wear it.  I just need to figure out which one is going to be for me. 

This sweater from Chicknits is knitted out of Eco Duo and has to be two years done and waiting for blocking.  In the beginning, I wasn't real crazy of how it looked laying out.  I thought that I had knit it too short (after a second take out) and was not real happy with the additional shaping that I used for it. 

You can see how it conforms to the waist on the the mannequin.  On Sunday, I tried it on myself and low and behold, I like it!  The added waist shaping is just what I needed, and it hit where all of my good sweaters should, just below the belly.

It's going to be a winner I have declared.  And it really did not need blocking.  Even better.

I just love it when I find cool sweaters already to go!

I Seem To Have This Addiction

To Cheryl Oberle's yarns, to Chris of Briar Rose Fibers yarns and to Anne Hanson's (Knitspot patterns).  I can't seem to get away from them. 

I've got over on the needles my Swirl Jacket out of Cheryl's yarn, but before I go back to it, I have to make sure that the 500+ stitches aren't twisted before I join and at the moment, I'm just not ready to see for sure if I am or not.

I started Vitamin D out of my Sea Pearl from Briar Rose, but I am still not sold on it.  There are a couple of Anne's patterns that might just be more suited to it or maybe it's me, I am still not sure that Vitamin D is a pattern that is meant to be on this hippy body.

And there is that Wistful from Chris.  I wore my Summer Solstice on Saturday and lovvved it.  It felt so good, I just can't say enough about it.

It's really tough when you have options isn't it?!

I Want To Be A Leader, Not a Follower!

Or how I took control of my knitting, or maybe that should be my life.

This isn't new to regular readers of the blog, because I have touched on this numerous times, but like weight loss, I seem to be always starting over when it comes to a couple of aspects in my life. 

I'm easy.  Find me a restaurant, I can find something on the menu that I can/want to eat.  Want to go or do something, I am agreeable especially if I don't have to drive and even if I have to, I still don't have a problem with it.  I follow along.  See a look or a shoe or a purse, I gotta have it, only after spending the cold hard cash for it, I discover it really isn't all that it was cracked up to.  I guess thats the reason, I now have a bag tree.  Don't get me wrong, but geesh, thats a lot of bags and cold hard cash hanging there.  I'm not even going to go there with the stash, you know I have a big one, but I have an idea that I'll address in future blogs...it has to do with the Bishop Hill Fiber Guild Spin In, I went to yesterday, but for now you will have to wait for that thought.

Ravelry is a wonderful thing.  You all know it if you have ever been over there.  Knitting with a group of friends is super fantastic.  You all know that too if you are lucky to have a group you can knit with. I have a couple so I am super lucky.  If you don't have one, find one at your local yarn shop, it is a great way to meet new friends.

Anywho, with Ravelry and my knitting friends, I have become such a follower.  See a yarn someone is contemplating, I gotta have it.  Wear a sweater or see it on Ravelry, I picture myself in it and gotta knit it.  No matter, if it isn't my style, it looks good on them gotta do it. 

Well, hello, here is my attempt to stop that following.  This past summer, I bought some yarn for a sweater after seeing it on a knitting friend.  She is tall and thin and I loved the colors (it had caribe in it, naturally).  I had to knit it.  I bought the yarn in another colorway, (it too had caribe in it).  I started knitting it.  When I showed the pattern to another friend, they said something like - not gonna look good on you, I wouldn't do it.  So, I switched my pattern and embarked on another sweater.  The other sweater is finished, it is okay, but it still needs some tweaking that will just have to be handled next spring.

Yesterday, at Spin In, another knitting friend had the original sweater on and it looked fabulous.  I told my friends that I had originally started it and the story of the change of sweater pattern.  They made me try it on and you know what??? It looked good on me and on the way back from the restroom mirror, I got two compliments on it.  Huh?

So the moral of the story and where I am going with this??  I am taking charge of my knitting and a teeny weeny part of my life.  I am going into the yarn room, going to pull out a book that I like, going to see what sweater I like from it, going to the yarn room wall and pick out a yarn that will look good in it and I (in big bold caps) am going to  knit just what I want to, what I think will feel and look good on me and I am going to knit it!

I am starting today to be a leader in my life and am hoping it will spill over into the other areas.  Ahh, that felt good.  Stay tuned!

Winner Winner!

And not a chicken dinner in sight!

I was the Wednesday Winner out at Knit 4 Together this week.  And look at what was in my bag.  How cool is all this!!!

I'm off to the Bishop Hill Fiber Guild Spin In tomorrow.  There are a few classes to take, but basically, I am just going out for the vendors, the sitting and knitting and catching up with friends.  Then, tomorrow night, going to get together with family to celebrate October and my November birthday for a wiener roast. It's kind of a tradition for us and it looks like the weather is going to cooperate.

Have a great fall weekend everyone!

Wednesday Website

http://carole.barenys.com/5lbCardigan.html


So many cool little patterns for free.  Love this 5 lber sweater.

On A Blocking Roll!

I've got about a gazillion things to block.  Which means about every other day, I'll have something to blog about and put up on my project page over on Ravelry.

This shawl if the Silk Moon Crescent Shawlette by Jaala Spiro.  For awhile, it was my traveling to Iowa shawl.  It was a nice no brainer for a while.

The yarn is Liberty Wool that I bought a few skeins of last winter.  There was enough of it for Cheryl's pony tail hat and this shawl.  I have one ball left that I was giving thought to mittens or maybe fingerless mitts.

I am going to love wearing this with my limey turtleneck later this Fall and Winter. 

What I really like is my dress form, pictures look so much better on a body and clothes, n'est pas?

Pushing It

I've been working a two sweaters lately.  And as luck would have it, both of them I have been to the limits of yarn on both of them and managed to still be able to finish them with what yarn was on hand.  I don't like pushing the limit on yarn, but both of these times I was just darn lucky!

First up is my Hanten out of Cheryl Oberle's Dancing Colors, Evening.  This jacket is supposed to have ties and decorative buttons on the front.  I had enough yarn to do the ties, but have decided for now to leave them off and see how I like the open fronts.  

This is what I had left after the ties.  The side seams and sleeves are supposed to be three needle bind off.  I like three needle bind off. 

 If I would have sewn the sleeves and sides up, this Hanten probably would not have been done yet.  

I had a couple of skeins of Dancing Colors in Amethyst in the yarn room and on a whim I decided to use it to do the three needle bind offs with.  It blended pretty well and so I am okay with the occasional  pink that shows.  It really looks just fine.

Back in July when I bought this yarn, it was slated for Twisted, but after knitting the first piece and noodling on it for a while, I decided that maybe at this moment in time, it was not the look for me.  I was limited to the 9 skeins the shop had on hand.  I decided on the Knitting Pure and Simple Summer Cardigan as an option.  Only problem is I have two versions of it already.



So with some modifications, I knit another one only this time decided to do my own thing with gauge and lengthen the sleeves, which then put me in the position of wondering whether I would have enough yarn for the front band.  I even contemplated yesterday of trying to find one more skein somewhere in any dye lot.

But as luck would have it, I had plenty enough for the band with a little left over. 

So now both of these sweaters just need a little blocking and they will be good to go! 

Just a Little Thought for the Day

Have you ever been with a few knitting friends and when you got home said to yourself, if it were not for knitting I never would have met so and so?  I've been feeling that quite a bit lately.  And today, was not any different.

It is just amazing to me how much knitting has rounded my friendship circle out.  And all because of yarn and knitting needles.

When I was in high school and just out, I never imagined that the friends I had ran around with would not be my closest friends all these years later.  But, that is not the case, I have a whole new set of friends and it is all because of knitting. 

Amazing and a blessing and bashert too!

An Empty Basket

When I first started cleaning the yarn room, I started with this basket.  It had some unfinished projects in it.  They went to a Thirty One bag I bought that has a lid for it. Once it was empty, I tossed around giving it away, selling it and just setting it in the dining room where it is now taking up residency.

I've decided to leave it in the dining room for now, and use it for tossing one skein leftovers as I finish projects this Fall/Winter.   It will be way to clean out the yarn room of onesy yarns AND see how I am progressing on my list.

Then I'll have to decide what I am going to do with the onesies when the basket gets full. I'm sure there is a place that would want my leftovers.  Yes, I could keep them, but seriously one has to start down sizing at some point in time.  Right?!

Wednesday Website

Unspun Icelandic Review

Monday, Monday

No, I am not off because of Columbus Day!  Some of us state workers have to work even though the federal gov employees, teachers and evidently our local paper gets off.  I took it off because I knew after a weekend with Mona Lisa that I need/want a day just for myself.  The Tall Guy took it off too, but he is doing his thing this morning (shooting) and then this afternoon he is going to the grocery store.  And yes, I know how lucky I am to be able to talk him into that!

I'm sitting here still in my jammies at almost noon.  I got to sleep in late this morning (because I stayed up way late) and I am just having the bestest time, surfing the net, watching some You Tube and doing some research on a product that I have been toying around ordering for sometime. 

And of course, thinking about what to knit on next/finish up.  In the meantime, and at some point in time, there are a couple of things that I have to sew up and that is kind of my goal for today.

My Hanten jacket is still on the dressform and just needs the side/arm seams done.  And from about two years ago, Debbie Bliss' Lara sweater needs the same thing done to it.  Then they could go into the needs blocking stack.

The green sweater on the bottom of the stack needs buttons sewn on and blocking.  I guess it needs done first since the sleeves are 3/4 and if I want to still wear it this season, I had better get moving on it.

Next in line and barely peeking out is my Caffe vest I finished last night.  It needs a perfect button and MAJOR blocking!

On top of is the shawlette I knitted back in February.  I am not sure it needs a lot of blocking, but a little my not hurt it.  Before we know it, it will be the perfect shawlette to wear over all those turtlenecks I wear to work later this Fall.

And last on the stack is my Eco Duo sweater that really is two years old.  It too needs some blocking.  I have to say it currently is not my fave sweater, and may be a great one to pass onto my friend who truly takes any sweaters off my hands that I don't like.  I should have ripped it back and added more yarn, and I may still do that.  Better yet, before it is blocked, I may just rip it out all the way and re purpose the yarn.  As I love Eco Duo!!!  Will see.

I am totally going to enjoy the rest of my day off whatever it brings.  I need more days like this!



I'm Pooped

But I'm glad we had the time with Mona Lisa this weekend.  She is growing so!  I cannot believe at 3 months, how much head control she has.  One forgets after almost 30 years.

We were in charge of her all Saturday, making sure she got to her flower girl duties at the church and then back to the hotel for the reception.  Then home to watch her all night.  She sleeps almost all the way through the night, but even so, my body just could not sleep very well.

Thank goodness for the Tall Guy who drove home and let me sleep almost all the way.  I am sure glad that I took tomorrow off.  I can sleep in if I want or just stay in my jammies til noon.  Good thinkin Penny.

I did knit a little on Friday when we got over there and I'll have something to show later this week.  I have several sweaters that need to be blocked so I can wear them now that we have this unseasonably cool weather for the first of part of October.

I did get the chance to wear my Summer Solstice sweater and I am tellin you again - I love it!  And most of al Chris at Briar Rose has created a knockout yarn for me in Wistful!!  I have some more in the yarn room and I need to get busy on something for it.  But, before that there are some other things to take care of.

Lots of new sweater knitting coming along---

Doin Somethin I've Never Done Before

We are off to see Mona Lisa and attend her Aunt's wedding.  We'll be gone the whole weekend.  And I am taking just a pair of sox in my bag with me to work on.

I have never ever ever taken just one project to knit on anywhere anytime.

Blog at you next week!

Wednesday Website

Knitted clocks and watches. My kind of thing!