Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb...

Hubby is a Shriner and in the Clown Unit. His clown name is Cookie and his costume and makeup are still a work in progress, but are coming along nicely. This past weekend he participated in his first parade in Mission, KS and he had a ball! So far, he has learned to tie balloon animals, parade, and work on his make up. Being a clown is not easy or always comfortable, but it is something that speaks to Mike's heart.


As always, I must apologize for my lack of photography skills.



My Cookie may be spelled a little differently, but you get the idea.

I am going to try to start posting more frequently again, and as you can easily see this is a knit-free post as I did not want to take anything away from the first clown posting.


Way to go, Cookie, I am very proud of you!!!

Winter, Winter Go Away

Winter, winter go away. Please let spring come back to stay...

As a dyed-in-the-wool (pun intended) knitter, you would think that knitting while the snow fell, and fell, and fell some more would be the time of year I live for - NOT SO MUCH! Real knitters knit all year long - rain or shine and heat or cold.

I have been been knitting away, and even taking a picture or two, but my conspicuous lack of posting has not gone unnoticed, albeit by some folks that do not update their Ravelry profiles I might add.

I made a Little Miss Valentine for the little girl next door, and in time for Valentine's Day no less. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture. You will just have to trust me that it came out exactly like the pattern picture - although some folk's LMV dolls seem to stray from that standard. Yikes, that is another story in and of itself.

In December, I knit the Drifted Pearls from the Rowan Lima yarn. The Lima is a chainette yarn. I was a bit nervous to work with it at first, but it knits up like a dream, and it is incredibly soft.

In December, I also knit a Scoop Neck Cardigan by Nashua in the green Daylily yarn. I wore this to a dance I went to in December. I added one black snap at the top corner where the right front crosses the left, and this was my mother's suggestion as that little point wanted to flop forward. Also, this sweater has two very cool, but really expensive, buttons that are black lacquer and leaf-shaped. I have never in my life bought buttons that cost $7.95 A PIECE! However, I had my little frequent flyer card filled at the knitting shop and got the pair for free, well sort of...

In January, I knit the Red Herring scarf for Mike out of Plymouth's Dream Baby in a solid azure blue that looks like a soft gray in certain light. This yarn is wonderful to knit with, super soft, but I did end up "killing the yarn" as this pattern (even with the moss stitch edge) has a propensity to curl. The iron did the trick, and Mike has worn this several times. This pattern was not hard, but knitting a 60+ inch scarf in fingering weight yarn is daunting, plus the fact that this was the fourth of fifth incarnation of a scarf for the hubs made me curse it the entire time I was knitting it...























I am currently knitting the Lace Panel sweater by Plymouth. Encore Worsted is the recommended yarn, and I had enough Encore that is almost identical in color to the pattern pic. I am about one-third finished, and this is the photo from the supplier. This sweater is supposed to be somewhat close-fitting, but Encore is not really the best choice for a fitted, next to the skin sort of pattern. Once this is finished, I plan to tackle two baby blankets for a raffle, but likely not consecutively though.



I have been very busy as of late with the two jobs, Mike's favorite uncle who is terminal and 100 or so miles away, and we have been taking dance lessons on Sunday afternoons. We are now working on 40s swing for an upcoming dance in March. We are not arrogant enough to say that we are good dancers, our goal is just simply not to embarrass ourselves and to have a good time.

The First Holiday Rant of 2009...

If everyone is behaving themselves and practicing courtesy and kindness, holiday shopping (not to mention everyday shopping) can be a little challenging, but not unbearable. However, I have just gotten home from a four hour pushing and shoving match that has led me to the first of my holiday rants, and it brings me to the conclusion that some of you may need to be smacked...

If you are a repeat offender in any/all of the following categories, please present yourself for the aforementioned holiday smack:

1. If it NEVER crosses your lips in shopping lines or other congested situations to say, "After you, ma'am/sir", you need to be smacked.



2. If you NEVER give up your seat or your place in line so that someone standing right behind you who is injured or physically handicapped can be helped sooner, and then complain about how long you have been in line, you need to be smacked.



3. If you are a pushy/impatient driver who uses your horn like a weapon while driving or in parking lots without even considering that a lot of people are out and about, and that only your schedule matters, you need to be smacked.



4. If you bring a child/children to a store/restaurant/any public location and allow them to scream, run, whine, and annoy people for the entire time you are shopping instead of going home, you need to be smacked. No excuses here - my sister has THREE kids, and she has left many places because her children were not behaving. NO ONE loves your children as much as you and your family do. Do NOT inflict these little angels on the general population. If you have a publically ill-behaved child/children and you cannot afford a sitter, you cannot afford to be away from home. Stay home until they can behave or until you can afford the aforementioned sitter. Otherwise, you, AND possibly your child/children, need to be smacked.



5. If you throw trash OF ANY KIND on the ground in parking lots, sidewalks, or roads, someone has to pick that up. Be an adult, PICK THAT UP; otherwise, you need to be smacked, and then forced to pick the item up.

In the spirit of the season, I will set aside some time for volunteering purposes. I will be happy to serve as the Smack Commisioner in my area.

Bigger Than a Bread Box...

My new toy is bigger than a bread box. In fact, it might be bigger than eight bread boxes.


I used to keep my yarn stash in two Sterilite multi-drawer bins stacked in tower fashion in a closet, but since the move that monstrosity had to be out in full view of the downstairs living room. While the bins were functional, they were also a little slim on the pretty.


Hubby and I had seen a wood and glass cabinet at World's Market that we thought might work, but I kept protesting that I did not want to spend the money. Then, luckily enough, it went on sale and I got to use one of the Entertainment book coupons as well for a grand total of $150 off the total amount.



My entire stash fits in the cabinet with room to spare! While I was putting my fiber away, possibly a mistake to do this in front of hubby, he mentioned that the collection behind glass looks like a "little tiny yarn store." Mike collects movies, so he understands the concept as it relates to collections that I may have more than I need, but less than I want...


Now keep in mind that my photography skills are lacking, but here is a pic of what hubby has loving termed "the yarn vault".


Both of the glass doors slide open, and there is a shelf below that holds me entire knitting library, such as it is. The "vault" also lives upstairs instead of downstairs for better access to light.

I am still in the process of moving things around, so the errant cords you see around the vault will not be there for long. However, Mike attached the cabinet to the wall so it would not topple over, and this is where it will stay permanently.

I did finish the Alan Dart bat in time for Halloween, although just barely, and here is a better late than never picture of Prince Vladamir.

I am working on the Drifted Pearls scarf which is too involved to be called just a scarf, but it is really going to be beautiful when finished. Have I mentioned that there are four types of cables, baubles, and applied I-cord??? I am using the Rowan Lima, and it is wonderful to knit with. I had read that it was splitty, but it really isn't even with blunt-tipped needles. To me, splitty just means you have to pay attention, and then it's fine. The Lima is a chainette yarn, which I have never worked with before, but even with the Russian join it did fine.

Off to knit!

Mitten Smitten? Uh, no.

I have finished both pairs of Peekaboo Mittens. They were both knit in Encore worsted weight by Plymouth. They came out as per the pattern, but they just really lack any pizazz.

This project will not likely start the beginning of a mitten knittin' craze. Admittedly, they do not take long and the pattern is not tough, but they just don't do much for me. Paired with the Twisted Vine Scarves in the matching color the mittens will make a nice gift, but this pattern will not be one that I plan to repeat.

Maybe I will like the mittens better tomorrow. Unfortunately, I am THE Grinch today. I am agitated with everything and everyone. In fact, I could hunt bear with a switch. Let's hope that tomorrow is a better day...

p.s. Notice the "embiggen" feature now works with my pics.

The Great Scarf Project of 2009 is Complete!

As my previous posts have told you, I had taken on a mammoth project of knitting ten scarves, or more precisely ten Twisted Vine Neck Warmers for some friends and the ladies in my office for Christmas gifts. All of the scarves were knit with Plymouth Encore as not all of the gift recipients are fiber folks, and I feared what they might do to them in my absence...

I made two in ivory, which I did not think I would like at all because I thought they would be boring to knit, as well as to wear; however, I stand corrected, and boredom gave way to simplicity which really accented the details of the lace and cables.

Here is the group of ten, yep TEN, in all their multicolored glory.

In truth, I would really like one for myself, but not today.

I am now working on some (don't ask my how many) bookmarks, and I hope to be finished with them by mid-week. According to my knitting progress calendar, I am supposed to knit two pairs of mittens, and then Christmas will be done. Also, I am going to try to incorporate the same large center cable that is in the neck warmers into the mittens.

I will admit, a certain vampire bat has capured my attention as of late...

MUST STAY ON TRACK, MUST STAY ON TRACK!

However, a certain sweater (Scoop Neck Cardigan) is shouting, "ME NEXT, ME NEXT!"

Still Plugging Away

Secret Christmas projects are still underway and coming along nicely.

Hubby saw the stack and asked if I needed a tax number to open a shop.