Happy KnitYear!!!!

I'll be all cozy in my chair w/my newest project for the next few days...... a scarf in  gorgeous Classic Elite Princess.. via Domino Knitting Technique complete w/pompoms! LOL.. 

Happy KnitYear to ALL!

Happy Happy Joy Joy..

It's finally complete.. atleast the knitting part... 

I just need to pickup some buttons tomorrow... 

and I wanted to share the special note that was taped to the inside of my bedroom door when I awoke Christmas morning..

MIL Cowl

My mother-in-law bought some yarn last year at the Georgia State Fair, which she later gave me for Xmas... I've started and frogged SOO many projects with this b/c I just didn't know what to do with it.. Today, I finally figured a cowl for C to wear around her hood when she's sledding.. to keep the snow spray from going down her neck.

Hmmmmm

I'm on the fence... Flower vs. NoFlower...

I guess I'll ponder while wrapping.

NYC say wha?

So I finished another Scarf. I really love this color.. It's Malabrigo's Vermillion.. It's a tone on tone.. Dark Red with a lighter red tone.. NO PINK...

My back is on the mend.. I've been doing nothing but popping pills and laying flat for the last 2 weeks or so. I couldn't even knit... I threw my back out by taking polish of me toes!!! WTH? So when doctors state that the reason why I have back issues is due to weak abdominal muscles.. BULL SHIT!... Fact is.. I have a bad back... and will always just get pedicures. period

Any how... 

This past week, I had a business trip to NYC.. Now, I had my trip all planned.. Wednesday, I would leave class at the normal time 4pm... get to Tender Buttons, then onto Purl... OK.. so my class didn't get out til after 5 , took me 15 min to find a cab, then traffic and $$ later.. I got to TenderButtons late and they closed early.. onto Purl.. and I missed that too!.. I was so upset.. went back to my hotel and sulked..

Couple of tidbits from my trip.. My instructor chewed food with his mouth open.. I don't mean ajar.. I mean lip smacking open with every chew... I could hear this from 15 feet away... I had to leave the room...

Then the next day, my lab partner. During lecture, slowly rips about 1/4 page out of training manual, slowly crumbles it up and EATS it... Chews on it for about 20 min and then it was gone... Once I picked myself up off the floor I just stared and stared some more......

I just couldn't help myself... 

Have a good week.. Mine can only go up from here!

Rufflicious

This was a very fun & fast knit... I have to say the fastest scarf I've ever done!.... The alpaca is VERY soft. So much so, that I'd recommend using bamboo needles as using addi's or options was a little 'too' slippery...

CaMITTment

That's the last of the xmas mitts for gifting...  These were VERY fun to knit.. I would definitely make these again...

Palm side of hell!.. no really.. I just used a cable needle.. b/c well.. I'm a knit-tard when comes to twisting stitches or cabling w/o a cable needle.

Aran Island Mitts

Almost there...I made some mistakes .... but the non-knitter recipients of pretty much all my gifts would never know it... and they still shall do their part on keeping the hands warm... I may just keep these for myself and make ANOTHER pair... They are really fun to knit..THANK GOD the chart is all-in-one for the front and back, so that I may knit two at time and not completely mess it up..And I think I may have dipped into this skein prior from the dog sweater.. so I'm not entirely sure if I'll have enough to finish.. stay tuned.

Another one of Those Mitts

Last year, one of my friends received a pair of Fetching for Christmas. This year, she had asked (ok, begged/whined/stalked) for a pair of longer-ish (cover more of my wrists) fingerless mitts...  This year, she's getting Leslies' Those Mitts.... 

I made a slight change where I extended the thumb gusset just to give her more of the coverage she was looking for...

 On the flight down to Texas, I started some Toast and promptly finished.

 I started on a hat to match my nephew's mitts while there.. and promptly ran out of yarn.

 I picked up the Aran Ruffles and put it down... B-O-R-I-N-G.... I guess I'll pick it back up...

Have a good week all..!

Howdy paht-nah

I finished lil Sydney's sweater.. 

I can't wait to give to my Aunt and Uncle..

 I'm so pleased with it. I have to say the pattern is wonky.. The US version is flat out - WRONG.. so I ended up following the UK version...quite frankly, having to follow 3 separate charts... well. just plain sucks... but the outcome was worth it.

It's so soft and squishy and cuddly... Cables in the UltraAlpaca just transform it to another level. If I could stretch this over a 100lb. Dakota head ...I would...

And I did make both Filet Mignon and Chicken Cordon Bleu for my boys who became official teenagers yesterday!... and they ate BOTH and ALL of it....I'm off to Texas (Dallas area) for the next 6 days.. Have a good week and see ya in one! 

a bit overwhelmed

Rhinebeck was spectacular!. Truly. I was finally able to put a face to Leslie , see Rachel and Tammy again.. and have lunch w/a new friend Barb who is VERY funny!! While as much fun as I had, it was ALSO very overwhelming, and wicked freaky cold. We got there by 8:30am (didn't officially open til 9am).. Fortunately, they let us in. Kim took many animal pictures where I kept my distance. (over-sensitive sense of smell have I). I don't do well with poop smells, no matter WHAT animal its coming from... I did find some pretty red cashmere, that I think I'll treat myself to Leslie's toast pattern.. for ME...an obscenely soft tweedy alpaca..(that I HAD to buy b/c it was 300+yds for $11 which = 'IT"S ON SALE!'... no idea what I'll do with it.. but 'IT WAS ON SALE!' and some super soft sock yarn... where I'm planning on knitting me some socks... just for ME and ONLY ME... I'm feeling selfish when it comes to these last purchases..

So this weekend was a blur.. in fact I don't believe the weekENDED.. but just poured into this week.. The twins' went to a party at a friends house where 15 boys went off the local amusement park for the Haunted Graveyard... and I waited ... and waited... for the call to pick them.. that call came at 12m! Saturday was at the football field for 9:30am... then to softball field for 11:30 am for a double header... got home around 4pm and C was off to a Halloween Party. I then logged into work b/c Microsoft decided to 'CUFF' with my weekend, and announced a critical security vulnerability which means = Tracy has work all freaking night!... Sunday was a complete mental meltdown, b/c one twin could not find his game pants, and the other was missing a hip and butt pad!!!! OH and get them to the football field for 11:30.. that's 45 min away!... After a very intense game, THEY WON!... and on the drive back to our home town to meet up with other team players for some pizza and WINE! I then ask the question.... " So boys, what would you like me to cook for your Birthday dinner?" (they are Halloween boys)...
and I hear

M says... 'you know.. that stuffed chicken thing? can you make that?' = aha... ok...yeah.. that's Chicken Cordon Bleu!!!!
J says... 'um.. .How bout that really tender meat w that stuff wrapped around it..? = OMG!. Bacon wrapped filet mignon!...

you think I can talk them in to meatloaf? I make a mean meatloaf!!!!!

Two

I was completely floored after I finished tackling the mailman for the box..! Although I think I did scare the poor man...

So when I opened the box.....

It's absolutely beautiful!.. I can't thank you enough Theresa...

It is truly stunning...

Have a great weekend all! 2days til Rhinebeck! Woohoo!

Six

6 days til Rhinebeck!.. Yayyyyyyyy Me!!!!!!! (quoting a character from one of my daughter's TV shows) and Kimmy! :).... LESS than a week... I can't wait to at long last, meet Leslie and see Rachel again!

See you soon Ladies!!!!

In the mean time.. I've been working on Those Mitts... with some Ultra Alpaca in a rich chocolatey brown.. I don't know if I want to give these up.. 

Toast

Toasted
Originally uploaded by TLCknits

I will be if I don't get started/finished on all the other xmas knits!!!!  and we can just ignore the little mess up on the cuff....(which I shall name the 'ffuc up') darn magic loop! atleast with knitting these at the same time, BOTH were ffuc'd equally... Have a great weekend...

Ugh... MEN!

Yesterday, I was told (by a MAN) "You're too young to be knitting..."
I said... "As opposed to watching you yell/cuss/run plays with 18 boys, and smack the other coaches on the ass? ".Hey, I think I'll stick with these balls of yarn here, THANK YOU VERY MUCH."

EvangelineRed

EvangelineRed
Originally uploaded by TLCknits

I finished these off.. started back on the Aran Ruffles and finished up the back... will cast on for the front tonight.

in an attempt to get ahead

So, I'm thinking..... I need to get started on all those xmas gifts already!!!.. Last year was a big hit w/all the neckwarmers.. and I knit ALOT of them...!!!

This year... i'm going fingerless.. I've made about 4 pairs of these so far..

Next pair? in what else? Christmas Red!

so when I start to get bored working on this...

I'll start to pick these up .. .Thanks Leslie for the pattern! :)

Voila! I give you Pamelia **UPDATED**

I'm pretty happy with it... It was nice to see it hanging in the LYS... and nice to overhear others commenting on how pretty it looks...w/o them knowing I was the knitter... lil ego boost :oP

Pictures courtesy of Kim.. Thanks Kimmy!





Got my leather buttons for the Trellis and will sew them on tonight...

Just finished.. Trellis just needs to get wrapped up.

Story behind the sweater

OK.. so I stated I'd tell the story behind the sweater.

In April of 2007, one of my twins' classmates was tragically killed. This was THE kid in school who everybody wanted to be friend with. He was the cool kid, the nice kid, the athlete, the friend to all. But, he was a kid...He was riding his bike in the driveway w/his friend and overshot the ramp, and accidentally went into the street. Meanwhile, an impatient driver was passing another vehicle and was in the opposite lane, and struck the boy. It was learned later that the man was driving 82MPH.!!.Body armor isn't going to protect anybody from that..

In death, this child brought together my community like I've never seen in real life. They erected a skatepark in his memory in my town, and it was such a great celebration of his life..

and NOW, almost 18 months later, his Mother, will be giving birth to another boy. This sweater is for that little guy, who will always have a big brother watching down over him.

So, it's blocking as I write this, and I'm going to purchase some leather buttons today.

Have a great week.

Can't think of a snappy title

Finished these

Took a better lighted pic of this.. but not necessarily a better pic aesthetically..

and started this... another Trellis...(there's a long story behind this sweater that'll I'll write about when I complete it).

Breathe...

Habitat
Originally uploaded by TLCknits

I finished the Pamelia, it's being sewn up by LYS
I finished the Habitat..






I'll finish the 2nd half of Evangeline tomorrow.. and going to cast on for some Nutkins. :)

Not exactly a flower child

Yesterday, we went to hubby's company (ESPN) picnic... they hold it at the local amusemnet park...So, C gets her face painted...

no not flowers...

no not rainbows....

and definitely NO unicorns..

nope.. she goes for the skull!

I'll get some photos posted soon on the knitting progress...As far as that goes, I've finished 1/2 of a pair of Evangeline fingerless mitts, and 3/4 of the way completed on left frontband of the Pamelia. Just need to get that and the right side completed and then get it sewn up...

Have a great LONG weekend.!

Harvest Mittens

Harvest Mittens
Originally uploaded by TLCknits

Here's the 1st one... that we'll keep... my first attempt on sz8's that pattern stated, made a very small childsize mitt... These were made on sz9's .. Much better... :) OK.. time to cast on for the second one.. Have a good weekend all!.

tis a sign....

6 2 66
Originally uploaded by TLCknits

When the coaches passed out the game jerseys.. I never gave it any thought... til I saw them on the line... NEXT TO EACHOTHER!... MY BIRTHDATE.....

new for me

I decided that I needed a new knitting bag...

I had been using a Vera Bradley bag for so long (rather BRIGHT one too)... that it's showing is wear.. well more like it's showing its dirt... dirt that WONT WASH OUT!...Besides.. time for change..I completed the second sleeve of the Pamelia... 

LYS Judy is piecing the body up for me.. she's a doll!.. so that I can then pick up the front bands and finish this baby up... 

Casted on for the Harvest mittens...in Manos.. a gift from Judy!.. LOVE IT!!!!

Rags to Riches

When i saw this idea from Leslie, I knew C and I had to make them... the only issue was picking out the bandanas...

Pamelia body

I know 2 posts in 2 days!

Update on Pamelia - starting on the sleeves today....

I seem to be getting alot of knitting done of late.. this football thing is working for me...pretty much guarantees me 2 hours of knitting every night. 

Although, I do get the occasional raised eyebrows.. and the comments/questions:

'Whatcha making?' and 'is that crocheting?' and 'oh, I'd never have the time!'.. This time, I snapped back.. 'Really?! no time? seems to me you're sitting here doing nothing, but watching a bunch of dirty, sweaty kids run around'.. Ok.. so, I never liked that mother anyhow. There's history there...

Seriously, tho, what else is there to do whilst sitting there watching a bunch of 12yr olds practice tackling each other and a gadzillion Up-Downs...!. And I'm not kidding.. EVERY NIGHT... EVERY Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday!!!!..For the entire MONTH!... that's 10 hours/week of progress!! 

I can't do anything but knit each night..? OMG!.. the horror!:)

Have a great week!

BLOCK ME BABY

OK. I can honestly say.. I 'm finished.. I AM done w/ my part.. 

LYS is going to block for me... 

Close up of shell buttons

Need to get the Pamelia done.. so I can CO for some mittens.

Fanny and Pammy or Pammy's Fanny?

Just need to find a fab button or buttons...to then finish crocheting the button loop/hole/etc...

The neckline looks a little floppy when laying flat.. but not so across me! Just need to find THAT button(s).. and BLOCK!

I completed the right front of Pamelia

started on the back. So far.. I'm really like this. Only down side is you can't knit this outside.. just TOO DANG HOT.. and this sucker is going to be WARM come the Autumn/Winter.

Here's an up close shot of the back slit..

This sweater is going to need SERIOUS blocking...

Curling all over the place... but oh.. so worth it...
Have a good week all!

Good things can come in THREE's too...

made some progress on this... just need to pickup all around neckline.. as it's just TOO wide...

finished these up for my nephew...

and I started Pamelia

and w/it so hot... I think I may need to start some socks..