To Meme or Not to Meme, That is the Question...

I looked at my comments yesterday and discovered that I had been tagged by someone who has read my blog. While I am a team player, I am definitely a negotiator at heart. Here are my terms. I will do approximately 50% of the request, and we will call it good. I will answer the questions, but let the tagged decide who they are instead of me tagging them. I know people are busy, so participation is the most fun when it is not coerced.

Here are the tag rules (of which I have totally disregarded and/or made up my own):

1. Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves.


2. Those tagged need to write on their blog the 7 facts as well as the rules of the game.


3. You need to tag 7 others and list their names on your blog - or rewrite the rules as I did (heh!)

4. You have to leave those you are tagging a note in their comments so they know they have been tagged to read your blog.

Seven Random Facts:

1. Halloween is my favorite holiday.


2. I am comfortable being by myself.


3. Fall is my favorite time of year.


4. I have always loved magical things.


5. I recently purchased an MP3 player, and I love to download books and listen while I knit.
(Thanks, Grandma)


6. I have recently discovered that I am probably a very boring person, but I am comfortable
enough with myself not to care...


7. I hate rudeness. I try never to display it, and dislike it in others.

NOTE: If you feel that you have been tagged, then be tagged. If not, maybe next time.

Now that that little chore is complete, on to the knitting news. I am nearing the finish line for suprise surprise, another pair of socks. This is the first time I have tried lace knitting for socks. The pattern is from Wildhorse Farms (Savannah), and the pattern is pretty easy. I did use an eye of partridge heel with a little modifcation here and there instead of the pattern's heel, but I like the effect. The yarn is Jitterbug, made by Colinette, and the color Toscana. My stitch count is correct, but the yarn feels and looks the slightest bit FIRM. They stitch pattern is really pretty, but I think this pair will be reserved for cool fall or cold winter days.






I think the time has come for me to get some sock blockers for my photos. The little cardboard set I cut out just doesn't really do it for me...



I think Karen has some really nice wood sock blockers from The Loopy Ewe. Take a peek at hers back in the archives.


Happy knitting!

Fun, Felting, and My Favorite Author...

I have had a lot of fun this week. I have lived in fear of entrelac for years, and this week I have finally arrived!!! I conquered my fears, jumped in, and knit like there was no tomorrow. The pattern is from a company called Knitability, and I used Brown Sheep yarn. This was also my first attempt at changing/designing my own color scheme. I am not entirely happy with it, but it is a start.

The first picture is the before shot. This was so big I could have worn it as a skirt!

I am not a fan of the felting process, but I do enjoy the finished results. The smell and feel of wet wool is not something I look for on a day to day basis. The pattern did direct me to make button holes and insert the grommets, but that did not work at all. I resorted to brut force, and stabbed holes with a phillips (ha ha) screwdriver, and snipped a little teeny bit with scissors. I made the holes so they would be snug around the grommets. That being said, I think it turned out okay.

Also, this week I got to meet my favorite author (Charlaine Harris), and have her sign her newest book that came out on 05/01/2007. She writes the Southern Vampire Series, also called the Sookie Stackhouse books. She was a complete delight, and I enjoyed meeting her. She was even gracious enough to allow me to have my picture taken with her. Charlaine is seated, and I am the star struck fan standing beside her. My clothes are a little too baggy, but I have lost some weight, and nothing from the bra out fits quite right. I have always liked a "comfort zone" in my clothes, and have hated tight clothes all my life as I fear I might look a little too much like a sausage if I were to wear snug clothing! At any rate, baggy or not, I was thrilled with the opportunity to meet Charlaine!

As you can see above, I have the newest book in my clutches. I am off to read now.

I've been a bad, bad blogger...

Okay, okay, I get it. The postings have been few and far between. Tardy does not even begin to cover a two month hiatus from blogging. In my defense, I've been sooo busy...

I have not slacked off on the knitting however, and I have knit several pairs of socks.




Before you ask, I did knit both socks. I realize my follow through on posting makes me a little suspect in this area.

This is the Pennlyn sock pattern from Wildhorse Farm Designs (I did use a different heel and toe though).

This sock was knit with CTH Spring Frost with green beads with a gold center just below the ribbing cuff. (Thank you Debi for the bead tutorial.)
As you can tell, I have been much enamored with the Pennlyn sock pattern, and used it for both of the next two pairs as well.


This pair was knit for my DMS who has yet to take receipt of them. They were knit with Claudia Hand Painted Yarn (Freesia) - no beads as they were kind of loud all on their own...











This pair (now finished of course) was knit with Claudia Hand Painted Yarn as well. This may be my favorite pair of socks I have ever knit. They now belong to a friend at work. It made my little heart sing to find out that she loves themas much as I do! They have beads just below the ribbing cuff, and the bead color is called "tropicana".





The yarn color is Sherbet, and I am definitely going to have to order some for myself.

(I got all of my Claudie at Loopy Ewe as I love to get packages in the mail...)

I have also started on my Christmas knitting - for the little gifts that are nice just to let someone know that you thought of them, and hope they have a happy holiday season. I am using up my sock yarn left overs by knitting mini socks. I got the pattern from the Loopy Ewe.



I am a little bit socked out right now, and I am trying something new. I have seen both spellings, so I do not know which is correct. I am doing a felted (entreloc or entrelac?) back pack in fall colors. I am on the third tier, and will take pictures when complete. Unfelted (entreloc or entrelac?) doesn't look like such big whoop, but I have it on good authority that it will whip itself into shape once felted.

Holy Crap! I Have Loose Balls!!!

Loose balls, that was all I needed...

Before you get you knickers in a twist, the balls I speak of are the yarn balls wound on my very own swift and ball winder. Worse yet, I have uneven, loose balls...







To all the knitting geniuses (or is is geniusi) in the world - how in the world do you get nice compact, firmly wound yarn balls that are the same size every time???


On a happier, less screaming kind of note, more Claudia Handpainted yarn. I am going to make the scale skin socks that FKD posted a while back. I will also be beading them - thank you Debi!!! The picture made the pinks look much brighter than they are, it is really very soft and delicate. The color is Pink Clouds, and it may be my favorite yarn so far...





I am almost done with a pair of socks (photos once they are finished) knit with CTH in the Pennlyn Pattern from Wildhorse Farm Designs complete with beading. FKD gave a great tutorial on beading with a crochet hook, and with that I was able to do it in a snap!



Finally, the knitting supervisor in repose...

Dear Hubby Put My Knitting Needles To Sleep...

DH (Dear Hubby) is a fine husband, friend, and all around good guy. However, and yes there is a however, he is possibly the most boring person on the planet to knit for... I adore color - bright, soft, loud, subtle, and God forgive me, even metallic colors... I also love small delicate patterning, as well as things that are big and bold. That might give you a hint how DH feels about patterning in his knitted items - you guessed it, he wants things "just knitted, no loud color, no patterning, just simple". The man does have an image you know - as I have been told many times.

Thus, the sleeping knitting needles now present their latest accomplishments...

The socks were made from my teeny, almost non-existent stash drawer with Fortissima yarn. This yarn is just okay. It is a little bit scratchy, not very stretchy, and oh so plain. DH loves it!



If he loves them, I am glad. He is the one who has to wear them...











The hat looks like it is great big, and it kind of is, but it fits DH's head perfectly, and he doesn't like hats that squeeze his head. Once again, no pattern, just black, and for God's sake, NO POM POM! This yarn was actually wonderful to knit with, and it feels very nice too. It is from Karabella, and it is from the Soft Tweed line. I knew I had to work in tiny flecks of color somewhere - he would not even allow a stripe!

















FKD knits beautiful socks, and she always has the best yarn. She recently recommended The Loopy Ewe, and it is as wonderful as she said it was. It is a totally on-line yarn shop with the absolute best customer service, quick shipping, and a nice selection of yarn as well. FKD introduced me to the Claudia Hand Painted Yarn, and there is nothing "just okay" about this yarn. It looks and feels great, and thank you Jesus it has COLOR! I can't wait to knit the socks that this yarn will become...




Lastly, the puffed heart. This appeared most recently in the Holiday Edition of Interweave Knits. It is knit with Koigu, and stuffed with lavendar potpourri.

Happy Knitting New Year!!!

I am not a drinker, I do not stay up/out late, and other than dancing around a yarn shop with glee I have hung up my boogie shoes. All that being said, this is shaping up to be a joyous New Year's Eve. My hubby and I are home together with a warm fire, my house is clean, and the laundry is done. I am probably one hour's worth of work away from finishing the second modular sock.

Thanks to some kind encouragement from FKD and my mom, I have finished a difficult project. I found a friend who loved this colorway, and I knit them to her size. This will be my final project for 2006.

They were knit with Koigu yarn, and the pattern is called Diamond Patch Socks from Heartland Knits.

Surprisingly enough, my next project will also be a modular project, and hopefully a quick one too. No one is more surprised than I am, believe me... As a hint, it appeared in the holiday edition of Interweave Knits 2006. For fear that some of the recipients may read this, I will post the picture once they are ready to be presented to their intended recipients.

Santa Claus gave me a gift certicate to the LYS this year for Christmas, and I got a swift, two hanks of Koigu, and a ball of Inspiration. I don't know that I set out to get a swift, but my mother snatched one up, and gave me an acute case of swift envy. Since there was only one left, I snatched it up, whipped out my gift card, and danced around the counter with joy!













My mother is on the right, and my grandmother is on the left.

Now I ask you, is this the face of someone who could inspire swift envy? You betcha, baby! She is also the one who taught me to knit and finish my projects - I don't which lesson was tougher...




This is what Santa Claus brought me from the LYS this year, and I must have been good...














I turned 40 this December, and my life is far from perfect, but I have made peace with my inner demons. In doing so, I have decided to count my blessings and just be...

Happy Knitting and New Year's to all!

The Frog Poncho Lives!

I have decided to continue on with the aforementioned wretched sock, and its mate as well - much to my own chagrin, because one of the most accomplished knitters in Blogland mentioned it would be a great gift to an adventurous sock wearer. I have just that sort of person in mind, and she has exclaimed undying love for the colorway. It will be my pleasure to give them to her as a gift for Christmas. I would rather she had mentioned that to me two weeks ago when I stopped working on the wretched thing, and then I would have had purpose. Like all knitters, things for myself can wait - things that are a gift require knitting at breakneck speed!

Besides, encouragement like that from FKD is akin to a papal blessing on your knitting.

Off to the frog poncho!

I Hate That Damn Sock!!!

PROBLEM #1: The sock has little to no stretch as it was knit on size 0 needles. My feet and ankles are wide, and this will never fit comfortably, and I do not like tight socks!

PROBLEM #2: According to the teacher in the class for the modular sock, "Gauge doesn't really work on this project. Just cast and on follow the instructions." I must tell you, GAUGE MATTERS!!! Also, said knitting teacher has very narrow feet and small ankles. Note to self - remember to hate her.

PROBLEM #3: For all the hooplah about how great and glorious Koigu is, I would like to officially say it's not such big whoop. I much prefer Cherry Tree Hill for the sheen and twist in the yarn. Some people think the two yarns are nearly twins. To them I say - NOT SO MUCH...

CONCLUSION:

I hate that damn sock. I am not going to finish the pair. I am going to attempt to return to the two unused skeins of Koigu, and count the one skein I knitted with as a total loss. I am at the point where I am to pick up stitches and add the heel, as well as evening out the points at the toe, and then of course pick up stitches there and add the toe. I see no point to wasting knitting time on a project that I won't/can't wear. Even if this hateful thing did fit, I like socks that stretch, not a modular prison for me feet.

To add insult to injury, I can't even frog the sock as each modular piece was knit individually by picking up stitches, and then cut. I have included a photo so that all may embrace the horror. Even my DMS told me the sock "is the ugliest thing she has ever seen, and it looks like a frog poncho". I have never seen a frog with a poncho, but to that I say, let the frogs have it then...

I Do Not Like Green Eggs and Ham, Alas I Might Be Sam I am...

As you might have guessed, I am not always the one in the crowd beating the drum for new things. I like things in my world, including my knitting, to be the way I know them. Change is for the wicked... The "comfort zone" is a big deal to me, and tonight I jumped out of the comfort zone with both feet because I do want to learn new things about knitting. This was the first knitting class for the modular socks. I think in reality they are called diamond patch socks. They are from a company called Heartland Knits. This was a hard class, and I have knit several pair of socks before. I am sore from my shoulders to my knees after knitting those little mitred squares of hate.






Being the person I am, I like to get to class early so I may select my seat, and not just sit anywhere that is left. I have all of my requisite items neatly on the table in front of me, and something to take notes with. However, I am never blessed with the people that slide sideways into the seat beside me being quite as prepared. They want to come in late, loud, and appear to have little or no knowledge of knitting. This was supposed to be an advanced knitting class, and I was afraid I would slow the class down as I am not an advanced knitter, but I could complete all the "you should know how to do this prior to taking this class" tasks, so I signed up. Most of the other gals were nice, but I always get the joy of sitting by the loud gals that don't get much done - except being loud. I am all for having a good time, and my agenda does not have to be theirs, but if their constant chatter is keeping me from hearing or concentrating, I should be able to poke them with a knitting needle. One of theirs preferrably, I am knitting with mine!

I am really not a grouch, I like to visit and laugh, but can some people have to take over the whole class with totally non-knitting projects, or at least not the one we have all paid to learn.

Now that I have gotten a good whine in, back to knitting. I am knitting the modular socks out of Koigu. Once I have significant progress, I will post the Koigu in all of its modular glory.

I Have Been Hit by the Meme Fairy...

48 THINGS YOU NEVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ME...

1. FIRST NAME? Terri

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No. I was named for myself.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Saturday, 10/07/2006.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? It is pretty, but sometimes hard to read.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Pastrami or a tangy salami.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes. I am a kind person.

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? God no! I can barely keep up with my blog.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? No.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? I did it in my 20s. I hated it, and have no interest in repeating the event.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Thick, hot oatmeal with real butter and chunky peanut butter.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Not so much.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes, I am strong in many ways.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Anything that is mostly chocolate, and more chocolate. Did I mention chocolate?

14. SHOE SIZE? Nine.

15. RED OR PINK? Red!

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My self-doubt.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My dad.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? It’s up to them.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Blue jeans, black sweatshirt with a Halloween pumpkin, and brown Merrell clogs.

20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Sugar-free ice pop.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The sound of the keyboard.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Cerise.

23. FAVORITE SMELL? Lilac.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My husband.

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Their eyes, and if they have a nice smile.

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? I have never met her, but I am sure I would like her. She is kind, smart, and funny.

27. FAVORITE DRINK? After surgery, I can’t have it any more, but Diet Coke has been my undisputed favorite for years. Other than that, I don’t embibe.

28. FAVORITE SPORT? Knitting. It is so a sport!

29. EYE COLOR? When I was younger, it was dark brown, and now it falls somewhere between chestnut brown and hazel.

30. HAT SIZE? I don’t have a clue. I am so not a hat person.

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? I tried, but they are too fussy for me.

32. FAVORITE FOOD? Pizza with lots of meat, mushrooms, black olives, and artichokes.

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Scary as long as it isn’t too gory.

35. SUMMER OR WINTER? I don’t care for either one. I love fall, and it is the payoff for summer, and the price for winter. Spring is a distant second.

36. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT? Chocolate mouse with marascino cherries and whipped cream.

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Maybe nobody.

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Not a clue.

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? A Deadly Yarn by Maggie Sefton.

41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? Nothing.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Charmed on DVD.

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? The ocean, crashing thunder, and driving rain.

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? The Stones all the way!

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Geographically, Canada. In my heart, Las Vegas.

46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? I have an excellent memory.

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Kansas City, Missouri.

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Stolen from La Cabeza Grande, aka Karen.

Thank God I am a Better Knitter than Photographer...

I finished knitting the baby hat and sweater for my friend before surgery, but I didn't sew the buttons on until the weekend after. When selecting the buttons, I had to keep telling myself - THIS SWEATER AND HAT IS FOR A BOY, as my inclination is to get buttons that are too cutesy for boys... Long story short, I settled on simple, pearlized white, heart-shaped buttons that are gender neutral. The buttons on the hat are cute, but they really are to keep the slick yarn from unrolling and falling in the baby's eyes.


I am making progress on the BIG cardigan, and I am still cursing the pattern writer every time I get a chance...

The piece on the left is the sweater back, and the piece on the right is the left front. See, I told you I was a better knitter than photographer... This yarn is not as bright as the flash makes it seem. It is more of a brick red color, but you can see the slipped stitch design.


Today, I have my one week postop visit and get my 15 staples and one stitch out. Not to worry, there will be no posted pics of the incisions with staples. Thank you to all who expressed your kind concern before my surgery. I am on the mend.

Baby Sweater and Hat for a Friend

I have become such a slacker in respect to my blog.

This is not an excuse, but I have had a lot on my mind lately. I am getting ready to have weight loss surgery, and there are many hurdles to jump through before THE BIG DAY. I have have had a roller coaster emotion ride that ranges from neuroticism to elation. Some of my family and friends have been so helpful and kind about my decision, but unfortunately, not all of my friends and/or acquaintances are even nice about my having the surgery. I have wondered many times if the nay sayers are genuinely concerned about me, or if they are experiencing insecurity about their own weight issues? Either way, I cannot worry about that, and God knows I have tried.

I am still working on the cardigan mentioned in the last entry (the brick red cardigan for DH). I have interspersed a project or two as it is such a big project. The pattern is by Mari, and I do not care for her pattern writing style one little bit. I have spoken to the designer once on the phone, and I don't plan to use any more of her work - I will be lucky to finish this monstrosity! She doesn't know me, and I don't know her, but I found her to be curt and arrogant.



On a happier front, I have almost completed a little short project. To the right you see the baby in the yellow sweater and hat - I am knitting this in baby blue as it is for a boy. A friend at work is expecting, and she is due in January. I wanted to finish the project I am making for her baby before my surgery (10/02/2006), and I can see the finish line from here. The sweater is made, but needs some blocking, as well as the buttons. I have a good start on the hat, and it will be finished within a day or two. The pattern I am using is from Plymouth, and it was super easy to follow. I saw this sweater made up in my LYS, and it was made out of the Plymouth yarn called Oh My! Of course, I thought mine had to be made out of Oh My! too... The knitted fabric looks like a well-worn bathrobe, but has the coolest, silkiest, and most snuggly texture you could imagine. Oh My! feels great, but unravels easily, and snags if you breathe on it. I love the way it feels, but I probably will not use it again.

I am already dreading going back to work on that big sweater for DH. The back is finished, and I am not looking forward to the rest. I may have to knit a pair of socks before I jump back into that sweater.

Once the baby sweater and hat are blocked and ready for presentation, I will post an actual picture of my work.

My Old Friend, Knitting...

It's been longer than ever since my last post. I have been working through some personal struggles, and figuring some things out... Lately, my best buddy has been my knitting. It is never too busy, always has time, and I always feel better after I have spent some time with yarn running through my fingers.

Even when friends, family, and husband are too busy or too indifferent to care or listen, the knitting always makes time... In fact, I have made my best decisions and cleared the highest mental hurtles with knitting needles in hand... My old friend, knitting, is to thank.


Here is my latest project. It is a pattern by Mari, and the LYS ordered it for me. This picture of course is the pattern advertisement. This will be a gift for DH, and he picked the pattern and color. I am knitting it with Cascade 220. It isn't as luxurious as I would have liked, but Cascade seemed to fit the bill.







Drum roll please... Here is my progress so far on the back.

And the close up version for detail. The flash made it look much brighter than it is. The picture above is much more true to exact color.

Since my last post, I have visited Big Cedar Lodge in Branson, Missouri. It is one of the lovliest placed in the entire Midwest. The landscaping is gorgeous, and the buildings look like something from a Thomas Kinkaid painting.

This really does not do the gardens and building justice, but it was just beautiful.

I have never really been a big fan of going to the lake, but this resort could easily change all of that...

The lake you see in the distance is Tablerock Lake, not exactly the Lake of the Ozarks, but still a great place to visit.

I could so easily be a pool rat, but that eating and living in doors thing gets me every time!

Last, but definitely not least, a picture of my two nieces. The little girl with the sundress on is the youngest niece, Lucy. She was already dressed for bed, so DMS just slipped the dress on over the jammies. Behold the success... Also, this was the night I delivered the birthday present to her older sister, Braydee. I got her a knitting machine for children, which I have not had time to help her with yet (sorry Braydee), and DMS refers to that device as a "HORRID LITTLE MACHINE". DMS doesn't knit (yet), and Braydee is very interested in learning - that's Aunt Terri's girl!!! To be fair, DMS jumped in and untangled hours worth of knots in the yarn, and really tried to make it work for the kid, and now it lives in the box until I go up and help with the process.




To everyone I owe comments to, sorry to be so slow in getting back. I am out of the funk, and back in Blogland. Happy knitting!

The Big HAIRY Truth about My Knitting Projects...

I used to wonder how my knitting projects would end up decorated with cat hair after I would carefully remove every bit of hair whenever I found it, and then placed the work in progress in a plastic bag inside the knitting bag itself. I have come to know that mischief is afoot, to be more precise mischief has four feet, a tail, and a little bandit's mask. I caught her in mid oogie on my current project.



The second that she realized she was busted, she started playing possum as if to say, "Don't wake the sleeping kitty...". Either that, or she just just decided we weren't going to continue this charade of "how did cat hair get on this" any longer...














The project that Natty is currently coveting is just a very simple pair of cotton/chenille washclothes for a friend. Everytime I have a friend that goes into the hospital, I knit a pair of washcloths in his or her favorite color, so that they don't have to wash their hands and faces with scratchy hospital wash cloths that smell like bleach. This particular set is made of Crystal Palace cotton/chenile, and all of the cloths I knit have a heart on them somewhere, or are actually in a heart shape for the friendship we share.. I don't think the camera let the detail of the heart show through, but it was nothing more than purl stitches worked into the design.














If anyone is as nosy/curious as I am, I wonder where everyone else in Blogland gets their blog on, and if that is a multipurspose space. That being said, why not post a picture of your blog space and what its uses are...

I work at home three days a week, so I transcribe at my desk, as well as knit, watch TV, eat my lunches, and of course blog - and here is a picture of that hard working space.

Take a peek at the little dress...

I finished the little dress for my niece, and it really came out cute. This is a class I took to learn intarsia, and it wasn't too bad. I wouldn't want to put intarsia on everything, but at least I know I can do it - hurrah! The edges are all embellished with that dastardly crochet. It looks okay, but I only know enough about crochet to fake it, and I had to fake double crochet and scallops this time. I really liked the yarn, Inspiration by Cascade, and I may even make another little dress like this in red with scotty dogs in the band portion, but I will have to wait and see. I have other projects to tend to first.

Here is an attempt at a close up of the tulips in the intarsia band.

Sassy pants likes to admire herself online, and here is Natty doing just that...

Intarsia and finished socks...

Before I go into the new project, here is the pair of socks I knitted for a friend at work. The yarn is Sockotta by Plymouth, and I think she was really happy with them. The self-patterning yarn came out just great, and I may even make a pair for myself, but not right now as I am "backlogged". A term I learned from DM.







The new project I am working on is for the new niece, and it is made with Cascade Fixation. If feels great, but it takes some getting used to as far as the knitting goes. It is a little bit like a bungee cord, and it has got a whole bunch of bounce.

This is the hem of a little dress that can be worn as a sundress, or have a blouse underneath. The intarsia parts are going to be some very simple tulips, and there will be 19 of them. Please forgive the photography as I am still a little new at that. Speaking of new, this is my first attempt at intarsia, and it is a little slow going, but not too bad.

Speaking of bad, I think I have a volunteer to try on the dress, or at least help with the knitting.

Peachy Keen Jelly Bean...

This is the start of a pair of socks for a friend at work. I have never knit with Sockotta before as I am fairly new to the love of sock knitting, but I am gaining ground every day. This yarn is part cotton, part wool, and just a teeny bit nylon - my guess is for durability and bounce.



When I look at this self-patterning yarn, it looks just like jelly beans to me, and it almost has kind of a happy look because the colors are really bright and fun. This is going to be a pair of cuffed anklets. The ribbing looks great, and I have Debi at FKD to thank for that. She suggested a 2x2 rib as opposed to the 1x1 rib that I used on the Cherry Tree Hill socks. The 2x2 really lends itself to the look of a folded cuff .


Supervisor Natty has just made an appearance in the room, and has reminded me in her unmistakable Siamese voice that she was promised credit for her work, and she intends to have it! Natty is my constant buddy. I work at home 3/5 days a week, and she is also a seasoned expert in medical transcription. Natty turned ten this winter, and she is still as frisky as when she was a kitten. I am undoubtedly a good playmate, but playmate is all - her heart belongs to another. She really likes me, does all the knitting, transcribing, and housework stuff with me, but she lives for my husband. I am not really jealous (not much anyway), just amazed. Hubby doesn't even have anything good for Natty to knit or play with, he isn't home with her all day, and I do most of the caretaking of her - and yet she loves only Mike. Okay, I admit it. This is an affront to my very being, petty as it is...



As you can see, Miss Natty takes her supervisory duties very seriously. I turned around for just a second and found her inspecting the progress of the new sock. Natty LOVES all bamboo needles, especially the double points. Given a chance, she would snatch those needles and give them a good chewing. In fact, she has destroyed more than one set of bamboo needles. Of course you say, "Why would you leave them out for her to find?"

The answer to that is simple. I never leave the knitting just lying around, she is a VERY determined little gal, and if there is something she truly wants, she can open sliding closet doors, undo snaps on knitting bags, and jump to the highest shelf in a closet to find what she is looking for - whatever it takes! She has been known to conduct many a black ops mission to get into something - usually my stuff, knitting in specific. Now that she is older, she doesn't do that quite so much, but I have awakened MANY times to balls of yarn unwound into a mess on the floor and around furniture that were put in a knitting bag, in a closet the night before. She has also taken the knitting off of the needles to give it a good kick/chew Siamese style. Thank God she does not have opposable thumbs, nothing would be safe!

Exploring in the land of sock...

As you can see, I have finished one sock, about half of the other, and am well on my way to another FO for 2006. This is the first time I have knit with Cherry Tree Hill, and it is great. It has been in my stash for over a year, and I finally got brave enough to undwind the hank. This is one of the few items I have knit for myself, and before you ask - yes, my feet are shaped like that sock...

CTH is wonderful to knit with, and it feels great on. I LOVE the feel of merino wool, and the weight is just perfect. It took me a long time to love to knit socks, but I have arrived. The first pair was for DH, and the rat lost that pair - guess how cold it has to be in Hell before he gets another pair??? He actually will get another pair (just not right now) as I am in a period or righteous indignation about the LOSS OF A PAIR OF HAND KNIT SOCKS! I understand a five-year-old losing socks; however, how does a forty-year-old man LOSE SOCKS??? Because it was truly an accident, and he really is sorry, I may choose to forgive him and knit an additional pair or so in the future, but nothing is concrete as of yet.

I have discovered from my extensive internet research that most knitters have supervisors of some sort, and many of them are of the feline variety. My favorite bloggster FKD has a beautiful exotic shorthair named Pumpkin - he even has photo ops and blogging privileges. From the grapevine, my supervisor (a sassy Siamese named Natty) has heard of the injustice that has been done to her, and is demanding credit for her work in the knitting world. As you can see, the supervisor and reigning queen is not amused. Credit has been given too late and too little. The above socks will probably have to be removed from the knitting bag in the middle of the night, given a series of good bunny kicks, and possibly even a little treatment with the teeth could be in order. I now have to go hide the knitting bag from Natty...

No Mo' Mean Sister Blues...

I can officially retire the song I composed to comfort myself now that DMS has graciously sent me a few photos of herself in the sweater. Please forgive my lack of skill in photo editing as this is my first attempt to add a real photo. I think the yarn is more of a blue red than bright red, but either way the sweater has found its home, it appears to be much loved, and for my part that makes it all worth the struggles and tears. However, I am not sure what DM would say for her part (the sleeves and collar). DMS has the collar folded down, but it can easily stand up as well.

As you can see, she looks great in her sweater - just as I predicted. Mom did a great job on the sleeves and collar, and she assembled it too. The lace pattern on the sleeves and the collar is where all the trouble came from. At one point, I contemplated cutting the sweater into pieces and throwing it from my balcony, but DM graciously offered to see what she could do. DM has knit for 46 years, is a very accomplished knitter, and she thought the pattern wasn't written well. She had to get out her magnifyging glass to look at the detail in the pattern picture, and she even showed the pattern to her mother for confirmation that the pattern was off. I am thrilled that DMS loves the sweater! I will definitely knit DMS another sweater if she would like one, but I get to pick the pattern next time, and I won't be foolish enough to promise a deadline.

The Mean Sister Blues

As per previously posted, the evil sweater that DM rescued me from has been completed, assembled, delivered, tried on, and I understand that it fits. Not that I have a photo of course, even though I was promised that I would be e-mailed a photo on Friday evening - no such luck. DMS claims that because she had to wait for the sweater, that I should have to wait for the photo. Like that is fair! All knitters know it doesn't takes as much skill to photograph the project as it does to knit it...

I think the Devil himself designed the pattern that DMS picked out for that me to knit for her. He must also have designed her digital camera as she can't seem to get a picture of herself in that sweater e-mailed to me!

I know, I know DMS is busy with two children and her hubby, and can't be bothered with taking pictures for her poor sick sister with diabetes... Okay, enough with the guilt and whining - I am even weary of it. To brighten things up a bit, I have composed a little blues song that is sung to the same tune as the Kraft Macaroni & Cheese song. If you know it sing along...

MEAN SISTER BLUES

I got a mean sister, she’s sassy and bad - dah, nah, nah, nah, nah.
She’s got her darn sweater, so she shouldn’t be so mad...

(chorus)
I’ve got the mean, mean, mean sister blues...
She’s got me so wired and crazy that I’m gunna blow a fuse.

She won’t take a picture, and I think it’s not fair -dah, nah, nah, nah, nah.
It’s making me so cranky that I wanna pull her hair.

(chorus)
I’ve got the mean, mean, mean sister blues...
She’s got me so wired and crazy that I’m gunna blow a fuse.

My next post should have a photo of some sort on it, possibly of the socks I am working on.

p.s. Rasperries to the sister who probably looks just great in her new sweater, but not that I'll ever know...

The Joy of Socks...

It took me a long time to discover the joy of knitting socks, but I have arrived. They are easily portable, not terribly expensive, and it satisfies the immediate gratification need that I have.

In visiting FKD's blog, I understand that I am to consider myself tagged for the meme. Here goes nothing...

A-Age: 39.
B-Bed size: Queen.
C-Chore you hate: Dusting, unloading the dishwasher, and scrubbing the bathroom.
D-Dessert you love: Chocolate mousse.
E-Essential start your day item: Diet Coke!!!
F-Favorite actor(s): John Cusack, Johnny Depp.
G-Gold or Silver: Both.
H-Height: 5'1.5"
I-Instruments you play: None.
J-Job title: Medical transcriptionist.
K-Keeping track of your day: Notes on my calendar.
L-Living arrangements: Just me, the hubby, and Natty cat.
M-Mom's name: Shiny Hiney. No, really it's Joyce, or Linda on a good day...
N-Not liking right now: Diabets and the diet that comes with.
O- Overnight hospital stay other than birth: None.
P-Place you were born: Kansas City, MO.
Q-Quote you like: "Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, LOATHE..." - the Grinch!
R-Right or left handed: Right.
S-Siblings: 1 sassy younger sister.
T-Time you got up today: 3:39 a.m.
U-Unique habit: Not really any...
V-Vegetable you hate: Most of them...
W-Worst habit: Quick-tempered.
X-X-rays you've had: Teeth, chest, knee, and ankle.
Y-Yummy food you can make: Enchilada casserole
Z-Zodiac sign: Sagittarius

Consider yourself tagged if you feel a meme coming on too!

As you have noticed, not much on the joy of socks, that is because there isn't much of a sock yet...

Patience is a virtue...

Many years ago, I had my first knitting machine. The only thing I saved from that adventure was the Brother ball winder that I had purchased to use with it. Many years later, I have another knitting machine, but I mostly use the ball winder for handknitting projects as I don't use the machine too much even now. However, I do NOT have a swift, and therein lies the rub, or rather the knot.

When I re-learned to knit a couple of years ago, I purchased some yarn, forgot about it, and rediscovered it this week. It is a lovely sock yarn, and I think I got it at the Studio, but not entirely sure as there is no sticker on the label. I have knit socks before, but with yarn that comes in skeins, not hanks. Hanks are twisted into a nice little twisty-ropey-looking things, and they are created by the Devil. I though, hmmm, I will use this for myself. I would like my own pair of socks, and if I make short cuffs I will have just enough yarn. Great! yarn untwisted, safety ties untied, and POW this monstrosity of yarn that is a big wiggly hula-hoop-type thing falls out of my hands, and onto the floor. I am just barely over five feet tall, the damn yarn didn't fall that far, how could it have gotten so screwed up on the way to the floor - and it no longer looks like a hula-hoop. It more closely resembles a plate of colored spaghetti now. Then part two of the disaster - Natty the cat is having her nightly cat fit, and flies through the pile of spaghetti yarn and gets all four feet tangled up, but pulls the yarn about three feet apart. The mess has just went from a moderate-sized catastrophe to a homicidal event!

Long story short, after two and a half hours, I have 420 yards of sock weight yarn, which does not unknot easily, wound onto the ball winder. The memory of where I purchased this is starting to come back to me. I did purchase this at the Studio, and the day I purchased it there were about six pain in the ass women in the knitting store with me, and they were driving me crazy. I was still very new at knitting, a little intimidated, and definitely irritated as they pushed and shoved their way through the store and people to ferret out anything and everything. When it was finally my turn at the register, the sales lady asked me, "would you like us to wind this for you?" I distinctly remember that all I wanted was out of that store, and I didn't realize I had just set myself up for disaster. I should have stayed and let them wind my yarn. It would have maybe taken ten minutes, fifteen tops to let them wind it as they have a swift, and the same ball winder that I do, but most importantly a swift. I cursed myself by saying, "No, I have a ball winder. I will be fine." I naively walked out the door, came home, put the yarn away and forgot about until I found the little cursed hank this week. The curse was still alive and well when I opened the yarn this evening. The moral of the story is ALWAYS let the store wind your yarn, it is worth the time to wait!!! It is not impossible to unwind a hank of yarn without a swift, it is just damned unpleasant!!! I have no one to blame but myself for this most recent lesson in knitting. When you make the mistake yourself, it will stay right there until you fix it, or until it has the chance to bite you in the ass . Either way, it was one big giant suckapallooza fixing that mess.

The Perfect Knitting Day...

Not that I have had one myself, but I have the same recurring fantasy of a perfect knitting day. It takes many elements to equal that kind of day (yes, a whole day), and here they are:

The house is clean from top to bottom - no guilt about knitting for hours and losing track of time.

The laundy is completely done and put away - further, no guilt about knitting the day away.

All errands must have been completed, hopefully the day before so that you can have the whole day for selfish pursuits. This includes the grocery store, what would a good selfish day would be complete without snacks (salty, chocolate, and Diet Coke no less)?

Hubby needs to be at work, stay a little late, and offering to bring home or order a pizza to ensure his continued good health on the day of knitting.

The weather needs to be stormy, rainy, blustery - just in case you thought about leaving the sancity of your knitting, it wouldn't really be good - so now you HAVE to stay in for safety's sake...

The phone is not allowed to ring much at this time, but you must have the cordless beside you on the knitting throne (the throne is a comfy seat that includes the project, Diet Coke, snacks, telephone, remote control, soft blanket). Also, the cat is not allowed to be demanding during the Perfect Knitting Day.

Knit, knit, knit. No chores, errands, or distractions to deal with, and definetly no guilt about not working on more "important" projects. The success of this day is not measured by the amount of knitting completed, but by the amount of total indulgance and lack of distraction. No interruptions by thoughtless non-knitters (like they count anyway) will be tolerated!!! Hubby should not arrive back home before 6 pm, really 7 pm is better, and no questions like, "What did you do today?"

Now that is a fantasy! Not that I live in that world, but God I would like to...

Back to reality as the house isn't spotless, the errands aren't complete, the cat is demanding, I am planning what to serve for dinner, and hubby is coming home EARLY to run an errand that involves going to the airport with me. It ain't perfect, but it's the life I got. I can always dream about the perfect knitting day...

Purple and Sparkly is my Charge

BC would like to have a purple sparkly scarf, and this aunt will not disappoint. The scarf is nearly done, and I may be able to have enough left over to make LC one as well. I will have to see. The needles that I am knitting this on are size #17. I refer to them as my Buffys (e.g. Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and they do look a little stake-like. After the possible scarf for LC, I just have one more to make for DM as she would like a scarf to match her snappy chapeau.

Four FOs for 2006, and One Teeny Flub...

Okay, the teeny flub as we all know is the sweater for DMS that nearly finished me, not the other way around, and I had to have a rescue from Mom. Not my proudest moment as a knitter, but sometimes you have to realize when the party is over, and believe me it was.

The sweater to the left is the beast in question that that Mom is "helping" me with so that it doesn't get turned into yarn confetti and pitched off my balcony.


The four FOs are the two, yes two, keyhole scarves. One charity scarf for the Red Scarf Project, and with the left over yarn, and set of hogbones (scarf) for DH. The keyholes were one for DMS, and one for myself. I have now successfully used up the Sinsation yarn from Plymouth that I bought. I am planning to have a minimum of one scarf finished in a week (not that I am on a scarf binge) as my dear niece, Braydee, asked her Aunt Terri to please knit one for her, and she further thought having it ready when she got off the plane would be nice as well. Never mind that it was almost 80 degrees here yesterday. If the kid wants a scarf, then a scarf she shall have. I would love to knit something for her new little sister too. That little girl has stolen my heart from thousands of miles away. DMS went to China to adopt her, and they are still on the journey to bring back the new niece, Lucy. I better get started knitting!!!

The Way to a Knitter's heart...

DMS loved the keyhole scarflet, and that is the way to any knitter's heart. Just acknowledge that you loved the gift. Truly, a gift from the hands are truly a gift from the heart. I love you, Sis! Travel safely, and come back home soon.

I Owe Mom, Big Time...

Boy do I owe Mom now, big time... That sweater for DMS that had become the project from Hell, my mother offered very graciously to finish the sleeves, and possibly even the collar. However, the collar has not been officially stated. I shouldn't have let it wig me out so bad, but all those yo, and k3tog, yo commands finally drove me over the edge. I am reasonably sure I will be assembling it as Mom asked me, "I don't suppose you have sewn the seams, have you?" Fair question for someone who is rescuing you from the sleeves. I will happily assemble the project. I am just so grateful to have it out of my hair.

On the bright side, I have finished a project for DMS to wear on the plane to China. It is a keyhole scarflet (see picture of the plum-colored scarflet in the upper right corner). I made it out of the most wonderful yarn called Sinsation by Plymouth. It is the color of milk chocolate and dark chocolate, and it feels like oyster-sheared mink. It is really a lovely little project. I have taken four hours of PDO to spend some time my DMS and present the scarflet. I hope she likes it. By the way, thanks Mom.

F-WORD, F-WORD, F-WORD!!! SLEEVES!!!!!!!!!!

That is me in the above picture, up to my neck in issues!!! Knit + idiot = knitiot. That is the word that describes me - go the dictionary and there will be a picture of me waving there. I have been working so rapidly so as to have the sweater finished for DMS that I have totally bolixed up the gauge for those F-ing, F-ing sleeves!!! If you are reading this, sorry again girl. My bad. FFFFFFFFFF!!!! To make it worse, DMS was so very nice about it that it made be feel like the knitiot I clearly am. I have already started over on those sleeves at least once before, maybe twice, and now again.

The Red Sleeve Boogy

Faster, faster! If there aren't sparks flying from my knitting needles I must not be working fast enough! I am knitting day and night to finish that beastly red sweater, and I am determined to conquer the monster that this pattern has become, and then I will move on to other projects that don't make me want to snatch out a handful of hair out (mine or other people's) every time I pick up the knitting needles. Did I mention that I am swearing off of Vermont Fiber Design patterns? Mention, hah!!! They (the patterns) look relatively user-friendly and pretty cute, but step away from the pattern - IT'S A TRICK!!! I believe the Devil himself wrote this pattern. I have heard an ugly rumor that the yarn I am working with, Plymouth Sunsette, has been discontinued. It does want to split a little bit, but it feels to soft and weightless. DMS, the person for whom the sweater is for, and the same person with sweater itchitis should enjoy wearing it. That is assuming it fits. The little heffer wouldn't sit still or agree to a fitting during the holidays, or really any other time. I am pretty sure it will fit either Barbie (i.e. Barbie the doll) or Rosie O'Donnell.

Rattlin' them bones...

The hogbones were fun, but gone, and I enjoyed making them very much. I have found out that a quick easy project in the midst of a difficult one can be a nice break. The farrow row (K3, P1) worked particularly well with the suede yarn. It needed a strong pattern to have a gender neutral look. Now, back to the sleeves at hand (pun intended, weak as it was...), hopefully I will have it finished for DMS to wear on the plane to pick up my new niece in China.

I notice I have had 45 people look at my profile. You lurkers could leave a comment now and again. I may even start posting pictures...

Hog Bone Scarf

I am knitting an interim project to help me get over the hump of the complex project that this sweater has become, and it is a charity project. The project is to give kids in college that come from foster homes a boost of confidence, and to know that others care about them. The project is named "The Red Scarf Project", and guess what I am making, a red scarf.

I am knitting the red scarf with a very nice yarn, who knew Lion Brand could have such a lovely suede-like yarn. At any rate, I selected a pattern that would create interest, and not be too girly (as there are more guys than gals in the foster kid program). The pattern is called farrow row. At first, I thought it meant like "deep ditch". No siree bob, I looked it up, and Mr. Webster and I now both know that farrow means litter of pigs, or to have a litter of pigs. The scarf is blood red, and with all those bulky rows it looks like butchered baby pig ribs. It feels wonderful if you close your eyes, but it is about all I can do to look at it now. It just reminds me of bloody, butchered pig ribs now. Hence the name, hog bone scarf. This will be my first finished project of 2006. I hope the recipient loves it, and feels that there are people that care for him/her whether they have met or not. I must have it postmarked by the 31st of the this month. I am about half done, and hopefully I can have DMS's sweater done when it is time to go got Miss Lucy.

Closing in on the finish line for the sleeves

DM suggested that I knit both sleeves at once so that I didn't get bored, and not want to finish. I am way the Hell beyond that. This pattern is so tedious, filled with errors on the pattern writer's part, not to mention that I have blown my own deadline out of the water. Work is crazy, life sucks, and I still haven't finished this damn sweater. I am going to give a real push so that DMS can possibly wear the sweater on the airplane when she goes to pick up my new niece, Lucy.

To quote a line from one of my favorite movies, "Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, LOATHE, hate, hate, hate." That is pretty much my sentiment for everything I can see, feel, hear, touch, or consider today.

Hi Ho The Dairy-O The Front And Back Are Done!

You guessed it! The front and back of DMS's sweater is complete, despite the evil attempts of the pattern writer! I will begin, and hopefully finish the sleeves shortly. I may even learn to work my digital camera so I can post a picture of the long awaited sweater. Through this sweater so far, I have learned that bamboo isn't the only knitting needle in the knitting world, that Addi's don't infact suck, and that if I ever find the person who wrote this pattern I will pull his or her hair!!!

Things I can blame my mother for...

My mother is the one who initially taught me to knit; unfortunately, it didn't really stick the first time though. My fault, not hers. That being said, there was the work before play gig. My husband has been out of town for almost a week, and at the beginning of the week I thought I would knit the entire time. Ask me if that is what I did, go ahead, I double dog dare you? Ask me if all I did was knit, and nothing else. The answer is an emphatic NO! I did all the crappy little chores that would not get done if I didn't do them, and that only mattered to me because a nasty little voice in my head kept saying, "Come on, work before play. You can knit later." Let me explain, I think there is some kind of a spell that mothers cast on their children. Once you are fully an adult, all or most of the things your mother taught you, the fun and the not-so-fun eerily begin appearing like magic in your life. In your 20s, who cared if your place was clean? Dirty dishes, get to them later. Dirty clothes, buy new. Don't want to iron, not a problem, there is a dry cleaner on every corner. Then your 30s come, still in your own groove. Then you hit 35 and all the fun stuff that used to be just fine with you now starts to bring up nagging little thoughts like I can't stand this mess; just look at this closet; and who left that (whatever that is) there?!?!?!

Your 30s keep rolling, and before you know it the bloom is off the rose, and you are closing in on 40, and that damn spell is working like a charm. No longer can you spend hours, days, weeks ignoring chores. The lists I used to hate when my mother made them for me are now in my own damn handwriting! The fun that used to come first is so far down the list it didn't even make the list, and the spell keeps working...

Better yet, I am now repulsed by some of the things that I used to be drawn to. I now hate things that are gaudy, flashy, and for the love of God fuschia! The spell has worked so well that it makes me loathe the tacky and gaudy so much that I now fear its return, and the aforementioned dear mother now suggests I get more color in my wardrobe lest I be seen in too much brown, black, and beige. I used to be the one with purple eyeliner, navy mascara, and blue fingernail polish - a thought/memory I now regard with genuine horror. You guessed it, the spell.

The husband will be home in four hours, and I got so much done while he was out of town; however, not much knitting though. (Damn, damn, damn!!!) I look around, and I am glad I did all that work, and I guess I have to say, "Thanks Mom, I couldn't have done it without your help/spell." Maybe I am an adult now, maybe not, but at least I didn't get the spell that my younger sister did. She got THE bad spell - the "I hope when you grow up you have a child that acts just like you do" spell. I had to grow up with that kid, and God bless that spell...

Long story short, whatever responsibility I occasionally exhibit is owing to Mom. However, I will still find a way to use the "F-word" now and again. KIDDING, because I am sure there is a spell for that too...

Did I mention that I suffer from delusional thoughts?

I am working my knitting needles to the point of sparks because I thought, and publically stated, that I would have DMS's sweater finished by Thanksgiving Day, or more insanely BEFORE!!! I am still working towards that goal, but the needles will be too hot to touch by the time the sweater is complete. That'll teach me to talk stupid...

Come on Thanksgiving!!!

I have set a rather lofty goal for myself, lofty in that I have three jobs, I am trying to knit a sweater, have it finished, assembled, and presented by Thanksgiving Day, or even a few days before. What is wrong with me??? (Note to all readers: This is rhetorical - no answers please.)

Even though DMS said that knitting was "slow and dumb", I think she will like this - or she can just lie and tell me she does, that will be fine too. Either way she is going to wear it!!!

No more time to write and reflect, the knitting awaits!!!

Hello turbo, goodbye bamboo...

Do crazy people know they are crazy? My guess would be no, and therefore I must not be crazy for shunning the Addi turbo needles all this time. I ranted, raved, and turned the air blue the first time I tried the Addi's and swore out vengence on the poor soul who sold them to me, and then along came the project for DMS. The yarn is lovely, and I don't want to irritate it. However, the yarn has a personality of its own, and it HATES the bamboo needles!!! DM suggested that I try metal, I of course grumbled, but thought I might have some in my stash somewhere... (Somewhere = the stash of knitting goods that DH knows nothing about.)

I found the needles, and much to my horror they were the damn Addi turbo needles that almost caused me to take a life last winter, and then I decided to give them a try. I did have a few screaming mishaps in the beginning, but now I am breezing right along. I hate it when DM is right about everything, but damn if she wasn't about this too. I love those slipperly little devils now. I may never return to the bamboo. They are possibly just too "grabby" for me now.

I am even coming along with the evil open work on DMS's pattern, and it is 100% on gauge. Yea on me is what I say! Thank God I didn't actually do the woman in who sold me the set of Addis that I gave away, and thank God I am a compulsive buyer and get multiples of everything. After the former experience, I would have NEVER bought more of those turbos, but since I had them, and since DM likes them, I thought I would give them another whirl. From here on out, I am going to spread the Addi gospel.

Way Cool Yarn for DMS's Sweater

I knew I had selected nice yarn for DMS's sweater/gift, but I have never knit with the Plymouth Sunset yarn before. You have to be really careful not to split it, but it feels so wonderful. The gauge swatch even felt great. I got that yarn at The Studio, and they may have become my favorite knitting shop in the area now (raspberries to the old crabbies).

I have yet another new knitting group to attend next week, and I have high hopes as it is at my favorite library, and the head librarian participates in the group herself. This group meets only once a month, maybe I can prevail upon them to meet every other week...

Lastly, I want my blog to be enjoyable experience for myself, and to any people that take time to read about my rantings, the love of knitting, or even if you just have too much free time and you are looking for something to fill that space. This brings me to the newest rant. If you love all things about knitting, keep visiting this blog. If you like reading what a pain in the ass writes, keep visiting this blog. If you are just bored and killing time, God bless you - welcome back! If you are one of the freaky deakies who keeps posting advertisements to sell things in the comments section on my blog - QUIT IT ALREADY!!! Unless you give away free knitting supplies, and possibly chocolate I will never use any service that slinks onto my comment section. That is way sleazy, and keep slitherin' buckos! In the spirit of this blog, I say KNIT OFF!

The Finish Line - Cheer, Cheer, Cheer!!!

The last of the sock yarn has been wound into a ball (we definitely don't want to run out), the knitting needles were hot, and Natty and I were neck and neck to see who could get to the knitting bag first. I am done with work for the day, and the damn cat has been marshalling her energy so she can race me to the knitting. The pint-sized hussy beat me to the bag, but at least she can't work the zipper - well, not on this bag, and not yet...

The race being run, and with knitting only inches away, I have to decide whether to finish the last sock, or take it to the new knitting group I joined that meets tonight. I could take the sock and finish there, or I could bring something to start a new project. DH is even planning to wear the socks - whoda thunkit?

I have a knitting conundrum. I want to knit the French market bag next for my mother so I can see how it turns out, but I owe DMS (dear mean sister - only partially kidding) her sweater, and I want her to be able to wear it this Winter. I have gotten very backlogged (DM's phrase), and now I am stuck. Oh yea, part two to the condundrum would be I now cannot find the pattern for DMS's sweater. I know I have it. I showed it to her on Sunday, and where the heck it is I have not a clue! ARGH!!!!

I better get some chores done, and look for that pattern AGAIN. If I find it, maybe I will take it to the knitting group tonight, if not the sock will definitely cross the finish line there instead of at home. Another FINISHED project - Yea on me! I am going to try to learn how to upload pictures of my knitting to post - no promises, just a thought.