Tooooooooooooodora

This was a fun knit... Took less time that I thought... took less yarn than I thought..as pattern (Tudora) never did state exactly what was needed just what the picture shows... Kim, you were right, I had plenty :).. 1 skein was enough...




and now the Cobblestone is calling me back.. almost done with the body...

and I just wanted to say yet one more Thank You - Thank You - Thank You To Kim for my Christmas present!.. as it's the best Xmas present evah!...

I'm a real basketcase!

So, my 3 friends and I took a day trip up to Deerfield, MA... This weekend was The Yankee Candle Basketfest.. where Longaberger basket Co. came out from Ohio and set up shop at The Yankee Candle Factory.. You got to make (weave) your own basket.. Here's mine...You cannot screw up.. they won't let you! :) - I can't dress it up yet, as it's still drying...

I've taken a couple trips out to Ohio (3), and this will be my 5th basket that I've made...It was fun, the weavers you work with were very good and patient folk!... I'm a lefty, so everything I do is bass-ackwards anyhow... when someone is trying to teach me something...and Poor Kim had to teach me to knit! :) Anyhow.. I am somewhat a collector (actually, hubby calls me a cult-member) as I do have a few (10.. 20... 30.. ok last time I counted over a year or so ago maybe over 68 ) baskets.. placed around the house.

In all fairness, they have a functional purpose... like this one... a lamp AND.....

.. do you realize how much stuff I can hide in each on of these!!!???

and OK.. so I bought this one.. I had too.. I was just calling me...

because.. well I just had to have it.. ! I figure... white wine chillin in it will be functional enough.. Granted I don't drink white wine... but it now has a purpose.

There were many laughs, on the bus up there.. They eyed my dashing mitts, and had no qualms asking for them right off my hands... I laughed at one friend who announced "They're so nice...!.. really really nice... like YOU didn't make them!".. I looked at her, with WIDE EYES, and simply said, "say that sentence again in your head, ya ding-a-ling.".. :)... she did, turned beet-red, when she realized how that came out. Fortunately, I know what she meant ( they were neat and even stitches) and how nice they really are ! ;o) b/c my hands were nice and warm.. and also able to knit on a chilly bus!!!! Have a good week all!

a lil more.

have I mentioned how impatient I always am.. I want everything now, of course. apparently, my daughter is the same.. as she has just announced there is nothing to drink in this house...Yes, we are severely lacking in that dept.. for OJ, apple juice, milk and water are not acceptable this morning.. as well as my saying a sound 'NO!' to the Diet Pepsi request...and Apparently someone drank all the EggNog!.. Good Lord.. EggNog? at breakfast!? Maybe I should just give her coffee and get it over with? NOT!... yeah.. that's what she needs... more energy! Let's just say a couple of years ago, I was considering using some type of harness device to keep her IN THE CHAIR at meals!... She's not hyper or crazy destructive.. Just has a bundle of physical energy.

She has 2 speeds... 90 (thank the lord 7.5 hours of this is on/at bus/school) and 0 (sleeping)... Fortunately, she loves sports, and a mom who enrolls her in one EVERY SEASON.

Have a good week all!

a little this.. a little that

It's starting to quiet...calm down somewhat....

I started the IK Cobblestone... pretty yarn..Umm.. I mean... handsome yarn.. yeah.... Handsome... it's a little rough on the hands... I know it will soften up.. once knitted and as was suggested by my LYS to soak in water/creme rinse.. we shall see..

I took a lil break.. and cast on for another Xmas gift... another neckwarmer.. This one being a different pattern (Holding Hands/Feeding Ducks) that Kim turned me onto.

I really like this pattern.. I used Manos. Although its thick/thin... it added some interest to the pattern... (yeah... I'm going with that one - folks)... I like it and really that's all that matters :)

FIVE-FOUR-THREE-TWO-ONE!

and ... I'm done!Whew... now onto the cobblestone...

Kimmy - I blocked this thing.. and now I'm re-thinking the whole border idea....

SIX!

(to the tune of nah-nah-nah-nana-nah!.) I'm wearing on Thankgiving... I'm wearing on Thanksgiving. Yay! Course my house is a mess.. but I shall look Fabulous! LOL!

TEN!

MQW Final Countdown

12 blocks left!

First Flakes

So, as I was cleaning up after twins left to catch bus, J came back and said it too cold and he needed a warmer jacket... and reported that it was SNOWING!!!.. which really didn't stick except for here...

I'll be busily working on my Modern Quilt Wrap.. I have to finish this thing.. The Cobblestone is calling for me to cast on..Leslie's came out SOO beautiful... BUT I need to finish the other beforehand.. I know I can get it done.. Just 24 more blocks to go..

Have a great weekend...

Could it be?

Could it be that my darling knights have turned 12? Yesterday (Halloween), my charmingly witty twin boys turned 12!!!! (Aww.. Mom, do you have to take our pic? - Yes, boys)

And onto more good news.. I'm OFFICIALLY halfway done with the Modern Quilt Wrap...

MQW - row 4 :)

Well.. I made a little more progress.. got the 4 row of blocks complete..

Going to spend tomorrow finishing the neckwarmers, sewing the buttons on and blocking.. .

Have a great day all!

Acorns!!!! I need more ACORNS!!!

Kim and I made these at lunch...These are TOOO stinkin' cute... and really fun to make...

MQW - finished 3 row!

OK.. Onto the 4th row of blocks... and as I sat back and gazed at the progress.. "$&%*!!! and $*#@!!!! and I totally.... TOTALLY screwed up the color key... I am not, ahem, NOT frogging this.. It adds interest, right? RIGHT!? and uniqueness, right? RIGHT??!!! OMG!!! Plus add to that.. exactly.. how can yarn slice my finger open? That's a new for me... Never thought Kidsilk Haze was THAT abrasive!...Maybe this is a sign that maybe I just bit off more than I can chew... As hard as it is to admit.. I'm in need of a trial separation from this... I SOOO not liking putting something away without finishing it..

There's a problem with Blogger to upload pics.. so you can check out the progress of where it will stand probably til after Xmas at Flickr...

couple more down.. :)

Couple more that I finished late Friday...

Going to back and focus on the MQW.... I had a hissy fit w/ it this weekend.. I feel as if I bit off more than I can chew... Problem is... I can't walk away from what I spent on the yarn.. and it's not the type of yarn, that I would use for anything else...

Quick and Easy Xmas gifts !

ok.. making yet another one.. well.. 4 more in total actually.. to get the lil xmas gifts done and out of the wayHubby would cringe at all my photos.. as he's the photographer/video man! and I mean for a profession.. Shhh... don't tell... ...Sadly, color is not really showing nicely.. It's a very pretty charcoal/pewter shine to it...I almost returned it... b/c I just didnt' like it knitted up any which way.. then tried doubling and changing to 10.5s... NOW I love it!.

lil neckwarmer

Well.. Here was a quick accomplishment.. cute neckwarmer by Kim, so that the MQW didn't drive me mad! Made w/ Malabrigo.. I love this yarn....! not so much the chin!

MQW - part 1b

I'm trying.. I mean really really trying.... My personal goal is to get a square done every 1-2 days.. So... I tried to explain my team (at work) how I can't cover for teammate's on-call responsibilieies...Now, normally I would just take it ( just b/c I'm amicable, the phone rarely does ring).. but after looking at my schedule for this weekend... I wanted to cry... When am I going to be able to work on MY personal goals...

Fri - 7pm football game
Sat -11:30am soccer game, 4pm soccer game, 7pm - party I wasnt able to think of something fast enough to get out of...
Sun - 7:30 mass, 11am football, 1pm soccer, 4pm soccer - y'all tired yet) where I won't be able to leave... easily.. Supposedly, there's this law where you can't leave your kids for hours alone at the local parks... oh well.. not to mention... I won the prize of working the concession stand sometime in there on Sunday - WOOHOO.. bring on the 'fryolator!'... BLECH!....
Mon - calling in Dead! flop my @$$ on the couch and knit all day!

Folk Style - part 1a

This is taking OMG..like for-evah!.... I need a quick knitting accomplishment... feels as if there's just no end in sight...

the tale of Nicky and Pete

Setting: Bright, sunny Monday morning... I've had my breakfast, drinking coffee, working.. sent the twins off to school... Woke C up to get dressed and ready...



As I'm standing at the kitchen sink, I peek at Dakota (100lb golden retreiver) as he is blocking the path to the sliding glass doors... of which Nicky is trying to get in... I yell at Dakota to knock it off... Nicky is an indoor cat, but he likes to just go and sit on the deck and/or hop down to the pool area and roll around on the concrete.. I don't ask.. I just acccept...
Anyhow, I hear hear the vertical blinds slamming around.. and yell at Dakota again... I then out of the corner of my eye, see Nicky, run under the kitchen table and into the dining room with "SOMETHING really big"??? With Dakota bounding right behind him!...Let's see if I can get this in the correct order of events...



I scream, then drop the VERY LARGE heavy pan in the sink(water is still running)... somewhat skittishly follow Nick, to see what he has...C is running around "It's a RAT! It's a RAT!" I start yelling at the damn cat which what does he do??? Nick drops the thing and the damn thing is now LOOSE!!!!! Now, it's dark in my dining room.. and I am trying to figure out what this thing is from AFAR... Because, I don't dare step into the dining room, to turn on the light.. HELL NO! That's a wild animal in there... Nick chases it to the corner.. and under the chair.... I go screaming up the stair to wake my husband(well.. he really didn't need waking .. what ... with all the yelling coming from downstairs).. so I start yelling at him....b/c "RABIES... OMG!!! RABIES!"... So. hubby comes downstairs, and in the mean time... Nicky gets the animal again.. and I yell, dammit if that cat didn't let him go again... which then the BIG VARMINT, ran across into the living room.. which hubby then slowed him down w/ a laundry basket...(note to self - who the hell left an empty laundry basket in my living room?) .. which the critter apparently can morph itself, b/c it then squeezed through the handle and ran into another corner.. Fortunately, the animal is NOT smart.. and wherein the light..able to see that the hell it was... a lil bunny.. which now lives happily back in the woods... I have to go change my pants now...

Folk Style

So, I started the Modern Quilt Wrap a few weeks or so ago.. and it's SLOW going... I didn't think it was going to move THIS slow... at this pace, I'll probably finish this oh.. say february...

So this AM, I went and checked on J&M, to make sure they were awake and getting dressed for middle school... i peeked in on C, and got a little nervous, bed's empty

til I looked here...





Hmmm.

Mom: "C, were you outside with only your socks on?"
C: "No, Mommy."
Mom: "hmmm, you sure?"
C: "Yes, Mommy, you tell me to always wear my sneakers when I go outside"..
Mom: "ah-huh, so how is it that your socks are so dirty?"
C: "Um... maybe my sneakers are dirty or maybe from walking in the garage? "
Mom: "or maybe from walking out back to the basketball court and playing ball in your socks?"
C: (smiles)

Progress!

Well, I did pop the beads out of the scarf.. and lo and behold, they did keep their shape... It's hanging in the LYS. Being a relatively new knitter, I was SOO jazzed about Judy wanting to show it!

Hubby's Log Cabin socks are finally completed as well!

J was kind enough to model them for me.. (he and dad have the same size foot :) - look at that 11yrs old's hairy leg!...

3-d scarf

it's been dry to 3 days now... I'm TOO afraid to pop the beads out!

3D - put on the glasses

OK... I finished the scarf... it's felted(somewhat!)... it's felted as much as I could.. I ended up felting by hand...(e.g. a sink full of VERY hot water, potato masher and a whisk- THAT was a SIGHT!!!!).... Here are the before and after pictures..

Before felting



Closeup




After felting.. and now drying across my bedroom floor so no one touches it!


Close up of flower...

True test will be when I pop the beads out. :) Have a good weekend all!

Freezer hath Freezeth over

OK.. to put it pure and simple, I occupy the same workspace with PIGS!
Got into work. LATE... walk into cafeteria to cook your oatmeal in a paper cup. That you have to measure the water with such accuracy, one milliliter off, and there'll be a Kashi lava flowing all over the inside of the appliance, which is nothing new.. b/c the slobs on this floor never clean up after themselves anyhow... I have no desire to visit their own homes.. as it would most likely cause night terrors...
In any event, I take my chance with the microwave, with the thinking, I'm cooking this stuff for 4 minutes.. so any organisms left behind by them, surely would have died... and while waiting I notice some dumbass, ahem, a lovely absent-minded co-worker left the freezer door open... "oh dear"...when I try to close it, it won't.. WHY?




this is actually an improvement after I took a knife to some of the ice.. There's actually frozen dinners COMPLETELY encased in ice under that smart ones dinner!...I gave up...I don't use this fridge anyhow...

Modern Quilt Wrap

Sadly, I had a really crappy work day.. Only to come home to no dinner made, my running out to get M new sneakers (an apparent physical education emergency), then home to have a couple mouthfuls of broccoli slaw, then off to take C to soccer practice, and then to 'meet the teacher' night... Folks... I knit to decompress... It's a Monday night.. and I normally am not this manic til Friday..... so WHY... WHY after umpteen attempts to casting on for this godforsaken wrap.. can I NOT knit!...It's just garter stitch.. for crying out loud...! I have never ever been as frustrated as I am right now with this... I've tried Addis. I tried casting on to a larger needle.. I went out and bought new bamboo needles.. only to come home and start again realizing I went and bought the same size 8's I already had!!!!
WTH is wrong with me... ???? I just spent some $120+ on yarn for the damn thing..and all I can do is look at the pretty colors...? NOT !!! I'm ready to SCREAM! and OH.. my yarn (Plymouth Outback in Taupe) that I can go back to eating came in.. YAY!? So I can pick that up tomorrow and finish up the 3D scarf...
It's 8:42 PM.. I'm going to bed, b/c if one more person asks me to do one more task, I will surely go postal...
Good Night.

Willie Whats?

So, with the 3D scarf.., I finally ended up running out of yarn. Here are somewhat clearer pictures. I guess I should weave in the ends.. but NAH... I'll wait

The scarf w/ the strange fringe...

The Flowers - just have another 10 to go.. once I get the yarn! It's been ordered. I'm NOT a patient person... NOT a bit... If I like/want, I'd like that right now, if you please..

I cast on for the Log Cabin socks, because.. well I'm not a patient person... BUT, I also do not start more than one project at a time normally.. I may get bored and/or decide I don' t like how something is coming along, and set aside.. That' s perfectly allowable :)

I'm making these for Mr. TLC.. In all the years that i've been knitting (If memory recalls, I beleive Kim taught me a whopping 3 yrs ago!!!) I've never made anything for him... Of course, when I did show him the pretty alpaca yarn that I picked out for this project

Me: "Honey, Look at this.. Isn't it nice? I"m going to knit you something"

Mr TLC: "A willie-warmer, right?"..

Me: "Sure, Honey, and I'll make a matching one for me too, OK?" (while inwardly thinking, WTF?!)

OK.. WHY...? WHY..? WHAT is the big attraction to THAT?.. Let's see what would you call it? a scong? or a tharf? thock?

So as I mentioned earlier, I take out my knitting while watching J&M at football practice.. "why?" b/c apparently a parent has to be on-site in the event your child gets pummelled... No idea why... if such incident were to occur, it's not like I can ride in the ambulance or anything!!! I'd still have to follow behind.. Don't get me wrong.. I love my kids... i don't want them hurt. Of course, football=injuries of some kind...and thankfully, mine are on the bigger side, but not beefy. Seriously, I don't need to watch them run laps, sit-ups, do a eleventyhundred up-downs til they vomit ( which hey- it's at the field, I don't have to clean it up - kudos!), etc.. But I don't see why can't they just call my cell when/if that happens.. ?so I can get other stuff done too... Like, OH, I don' t know... cooking, laundry, plunging toilets, or pretending to do all those things, order take out, and knit in peace, where I don't have to put it down mid-row!!!

Have a great weekend!

stop and smell the flowers

I'm on #6 out of 16 flowers that are to be stitched.. that sounds great, doesn't it!!!?? however, I'm running out of yarn!!! Drat, the luck...Tomorrow, I'll have to head out to LYS with Kim to get another skein...which is always a fun time!!! She can then shop for handles, for her beautiful doctor bag. It is coming out beautiful!.. Can't wait to see it assembled.

Got a question for anyone who's looking... Is it at all possible to 'felt' in a top loading HE washing machine...? It's not front loading..so I can open the top and check status... I can probably put something in there too to help with agitation like oh... 'a shoe or two, three, four' ? Any suggestions? I 've seen where you can felt manually,.. w/ a tub of really hot water and a plunger ( never used - :)... but I'd like to avoid that if possible.

3D flower scarf

It's been a rather long time since my last post.. I have been knitting and knitting along.. This is a REALLY long scarf... so I've been dragging it around with me to J&M's football practice every night... on one of my business trips... I work with a great bunch of folks.. but I'm in CT, and they are all in Rochester, NY.. so I see them maybe 1-2 times/year. One thing I should probably share is... I work in IT (Information Technology - aka GEEK)..Although I'm not a true 'geek'.. I fell into the IT arena... My degree is in 'graphic design'.. which I then attribute to being a creative thinker when troubleshooting problems during some crisis..Typically, most 'GEEKS' hobbies are not with 'natural fibers' but copper fiber (cable that is!!) So when I all of a sudden take out something like this, I got quite a few eyebrows raised in my direction and then get all the questions...

So, to break up the monotony of st st... 82 inches of st st..for me is BOOORRRRIIIINNNNGGGG... I also knit up one of the 16 flowers...

Yesterday, I finally got to the correct length, and have begun the fringe.. It's a bit odd-looking.. like little baby-fingers.. but after felting, I'm sure it'll look kinda cool :)...

Sorry for the blurry pics.. but the yarn is blurry too!.. well.. very lofty... (a nice way of stating.. "FOR THE LOVE of (insert Deity preference here)" - this yarn sheds SOO much... that I'm blind, congested, and no longer have an appetite. Hmmm. new diet! me thinks)

flower scarf and 4 days til vacation!

The scarf is coming along.. this yarn is pretty.. but sheds... so much so.. gets in the eyes at times... not sure how.. b/c I knit in my lap.. maybe I move spastically and not realize it!!!

Anyhow.. here's a pic...it's kinda fuzzy tho.. I'll get better pics.

7 days til VACATION!

Now that the Hal's sweater (Trellis) is complete, he needs to have a matching hat, of course.. I've started the first few rounds of the Twisted Lattice Cable Hat by D-made.. Kim suggested it, and I have to mention, they compliment eachother so well!.. as if they were made as a set.. I'm so jazzed!

Anyhow.. I plan on having the hat completed by the end of the weekend... I am SOO looking forward to a week long vacation at our cottage in NH on Lake Winnisquam... no phonecalls from work at 3am! no computer! no TV!(yes, there's running water and electricity)..I'm NOT the camper type... I do like my blowdryer! :) I LOVE going there.. It's as if time stops.. I have no idea what's going in the world for 7 glorious days... and I can decompress. The only concern is finding the marshmallows for smores...

Anyhow this is the project I plan on taking with me.. Well.. the knitting side of things... I'll be creating this gem in Plymouth's Outback Mohair #865.. When i saw this I just HAD to try...

Hal's cardigan

YAY!.. I'm done.... well almost.. I just need to block and sew the buttons on.. but I did it.. :) I finally finished it...This is for my friend's baby boy named Hal.. I don't ask questions on baby naming... I can't picture a 'baby' named that.. a grown man, yes... Ah well...just accept and move on... I had a lag where I just didn't FEEL like knitting.. no idea where THAT came from... but the result I love so on to the next thing... a hat to go with it :)

Trellis update

Finished w/ the collar, and attached to back and 2 fronts... attached one sleeve... I'm in the home stretch :) ... Need to go button shopping!!!!

Trellis

Well, here it is the 23 of July... This summer is FLYING... J&M start football clinic today...This is their first year... I'm not a typical worrisome mom.. I like my kids to be active but in a sensible way. Give them the tools (helmet, pads, and cleats), go w/the flow and secretly hope my day doesn't end in the ER...

Knitting update - I'm working on the collar!!! WooHOO.... Almost there...

Takin a break...

Well.. I don't know what it is... but I just couldn't stay focused w/the Monkeys... so, I started a baby sweater for friend Mike's baby.. I decided on Knitty's Trellis...I had a hard time deciding on what yarn to use.... I know that wool would probably have looked the nicest.. ... BUT.. I'm a mom too... I just can't bring myself to making a baby item, that can and will be spewed upon at some point, only to have the lil' ones mother having to 'handwash' said item.... I just can't... As much as I would and have appreciated receiving such an item (and I did when mine were that little). They didn't stay in those items for long b/c of the amount of laundering work it would entail...Kimmy was kind enough to lend me her ballwinder(I need to get my own)... Now.. if I could only find the label of the yarn.. that I AM using... :)

All packed!

So.. I packed up everything I needed for my trip ... :) thx to friend Kimmy who gave me this lil project bag.. I Love IT!!!!.... and I left last Thursday.... boarded the bus.. and started knitting my monkeys... and then had to stop about 3 hours ... I just couldn't knit.. was like trying to do so on a rollercoaster.. I was upset.. and frustrated.. plus... dark.. of all things... the lighting was terrible.. I've got pretty good peepers.. but alas, I was unable to really see what I was doing.. oh well... So.. I made it this far,




gave up knitting on the bus.. and read The 6th Target from James Patterson.. .Number 6 in Women's Murder Club series.... It was OK... but just that.. I was somewhat disappointed b/c I usually love all his books.. I was even somewhat entertained with the Bird kids one... in The Lake House...... Oh well.. have a good week all!

ROAD TRIP!!!

Well, I'm off tomorrow with 2 friends and 22 other women, to the Longaberger Capital of the World.... Dresden, Ohio...12 hours of blissful knitting time each way... I'm looking forward to it.... Bus, Bucks, Booze and baskets.(full of my knitting gear of course).. What else do I need...? Have a good weekend all!

Kid Dash

Well, I completed one half of C's fingerless mitts.. She's excited.. and love-love-loves them.. According to her, now she can play basketball even when it starts to get too cold..
I plan on completing the other this week... .... Here's a quick pic... more to come.. :)

Summertime Blues

Sadly, I have not been able to pick up my knitting in over 2 weeks... Work has been crazy busy, that I've been spending every waking moment logged on and building unix systems.. or at the local parks watching either a softball or soccer game. I finally finished with 'my side of things' on the job front and the sports are starting to wind down...(well, we have the championships this Friday- keep your fingers crossed!!!) Go ROCKETS!!! ... so I can now take a deep breath and relax somewhat and squeeze in some knitting while there as well...



In a few weeks, I'll be climbing aboard a bus w/ 2 other friends.. for about 12 hours (each way) to Dresden, OH... The Longaberger Capital :)... I already have my projects packed for each way... How crazy is it to be looking forward to it.. ??? 12 hours... but I get 12 hours of knitting time!... alone...! turning the cellphone off...! I'm planning on knitting the monkey sock in Cherries! - that I received from friend Kim.. as a birthday gift.. I love this yarn.... The colors are gorgeous.!

Dashing

Busy busy busy... dropped the Noni bag off at LYS... I can't wait til the lining is done... I started working on the Dashing mitts.. from Knitty... I completed one so far... Ironically, as soon as my kids saw the one, they all had to try it on..and then proceed to tell me how to alter the pattern :)... each making their own little changes, if you please, for THEIR pair !... Although the twins asked that I don't put that 'girly' stuff on... you know... cables? LOL... so I guess they'll just get the 'manly' rib feature... :) The pattern also makes for a rather LONG mitt.. so I plan on shortening a bit the next 1-2-3 go arounds..

C had to have her pic taken w/the mitts, even tho they're adult sized...:o)

bad angle on this one.. middle cable looks like C has 2 elbows..

Oh well.. Have a great day!

Warmer.... warmer

Well, the new washer and dryer will arrive on Thursday!!!!... Hubby rigged the washer so that I was able to felt the last two flowers.. (I have my priorities :o)!!!.... I beaded them and pinned to bag. I shopped around for the handles and found none that I liked locally.. So, I ordered them from Kpixie... So, as soon as I receive them, I plan on dropped these off at LYS, to have a liner sewn in. (I am NOT a sewer).. I can string beads and make a random lines.. but that's as far as the talent goes..That. and I really don't enjoy sewing so much...