knitzoid

Total Disaster

2009-12-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

Yes, I had a knitting disaster. The pattern I was knitting from was wrong. Wrong in so many ways. I was going to have to rip almost the whole thing and start again. I was already working on the sleeves. But the worst thing... not enough yarn. The errata said that some people needed as much as two, TWO, extra skeins of yarn. ARRRRGGGGHHHH! Please, Please, Please, check the errata before you knit.

So, I just started knitting something else. This pattern is free from Lion Brand. It is a tunic length sweater with a pretty ribbed collar. I think it's called the Newcastle pullover. Very nice and easy. This is knitted in pieces. I like pieces. When something is not right, you don't have to re-knit the whole sweater. Only a piece. Also, I don't mind at all the sewing up. It's really easy. Oh, and I am knitting my new sweater in Patons Classic Wool in the beautiful Cognac Heather. I'm about halfway done with the back.

The Phoenix rises from the ashes.

Ta ta for now, dearies, and happy knitting.

New sweater

2009-11-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

Well dear ones, I am knitting a new sweater. It is from the book Last Minute Knitted Gifts. The recipient you ask? ME. Ha. No more gifts for others for awhile. I really don't have much to show for all my work. I usually am making something for someone else. Yep, it's time to be selfish.

This sweater is the orange one in the book. Mine will be gray. Made from superwash merino wool. Mmmmm. Well happy knitting dear ones.

Wow, time flies

2009-11-12T20:47:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a long time my pretties. I'm sure you are all long gone. On to better things. Better yarn. I am still knitting, just not as much as I used to. It might be fun to start blogging again. My blog is still here. So why knot?

Two Whole Years

2006-09-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Knitting Aniversery to me. I have now been knitting two whole years. With no end in sight. But as you can see dearies, I have some what abandoned blogging about knitting. Well one never knows, I might start up again. I just taught myself the magic loop method and am planning on knitting socks. I have already been stashing away sock yarn just for the occasion. He He.

And I went to an Alpaca farm not too long ago. And I just bought some yarn to make myself a scrumptous sweater from the fall issue of Interweave Knits. And I ordered some sport weight Lorna's Laces in Black Purl. I have been waiting for it since July. Argggggggh. But soon. I hope. Yummy yarn. :)

Oh and the yarn store I work at will be closing! :( A sad sad day. But now I will have to check out the other yarn stores in the area. Alas no discount. :( But I will manage. I mean I have enough yarn to probably last me a whole year. It's not like I knit super fast or anything. Oh and I ordered the Peacock feathers shawl pattern from Fiddlesticks. I have been totally dying to have that pattern forever. And now it is on it's way to my house. Lucky Lucky me.

Well ta ta for now lovies. Happy Knitting.

Happy 4th!!! of July

2006-07-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers, I know you are independent minded folks so I am wishing you a Happy 4th of July regardless of nationality. I am of course an American so I have a vacation. And during said vacation I will be knitting. Because we got a new air conditioner and while not perfect it is a darn sight cooler in here today than it has been in quite awhile. So I will persevere and continue knitting. I have sooooo much to do. I must finish this cool shrug .(its really just a rectangel folded cool) It's going in the window of the shop I work at. We don't carry berroco yarn so I am making it out of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece (in a light aqua color) and Gatsby (silver sparkly but can't remember the company its from) I promise to take pictures. And I have to finish sewing up my brother's sweater. Next I want to knit lace. EEEEEEE! I love lace. I suppose I should finish knitting soleil from knitty. And a cute vest pattern I made up. and my travel blanket.So much for my stream of conciousness blog. Also check out this cool tatoo. I am not personally into tatoos, but the art work on this one is really fabulous and knitting related.

Love ya dearies, and Happy Knitting!

Quickie

2006-06-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry dear ones, I have been out on a little vacay. (vacation that is) I'm sorry to say that I did not go to any cute little yarn stores while away. But I did stop in at JoAnn's and I bought a big skein of Rainbow Boucle. In a pretty range of Blues. I plan to make a shawl with it. But now I need to decide to make a rectangle or a triangle shawl. Decisions, Decisions. I also have been a bit remiss of working on my brothers sweater. I am sewing it together now. sigh. I had so wanted to finish it quickly, but I really haven't :( And I have started like three other projects. And the heat has arrived with a vengeance. So who really feels like knitting in this heat? :( Still, I will persevere. Happy Knitting!

Hooray Hooray for the Month of May

2006-05-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

Can you believe dear Readers that it is already May? I cannot. How did it get to be May already? Well time flies when you are having fun as the old chestnut says. We are having unusually cold and wet weather here, but that is all well and good for knitting, so I am not complaining one bit. I have been working diligently and occasionally negligently on my brother's sweater. The above pictures are the front and the color is sort of a greeny grey closer to the bottom three pictures, than the top one. It is way too yellow. Very nice color. I have been complimented many times on the color. The yarn you ask? Well it is none other than Plymouth Encore. Now the yarn is a different matter. And the only right matter is that I like the yarn. It is not at all splitty. Which many a yarn is. And the best part is that is washible. But it is not good enough for some people. I think that since it is mostly acrylic that is why the yarn snobbery. Also it is only $5.50 a skein. Anyhoo, it is turning out lovely and that is all that really matters in the end. I hope it fits and that he likes it. Oh I haven't mentioned that the back and both sleeves are already finished. Yup. I am almost done with the knitting. Yay! Then the sewing up. But I am sure I mentioned before that I really don't mind sewing it up.

In other news, That top picture is a bag I bought to hold my current knitting project. I am afraid that I have been using plain plastic bags (the kind the shop I work at gives out) for all my projects. But I wanted to be a bit tidier and classier. So thus the nice plastic bag. I like that you can see your knitting inside it.

I am also working on a travel blanket. A beautiful red shade. In Merino Magic by Heirloom. A very nice yarn from our friends in Australia. It too is washible. Yay! Also I am working on a vest. In a cottony kind of yarn. I bought it on sale as it was being discontinued. Alas, Discontinued Yarn. The bane of a knitters existence. Sigh. Why do the good die young?
But that is a whole other thing to ponder, and I must return to my knitting. We will leave that for another day. So Happy Knitting Dearies!

P.S. I can't seem to get the spell checker thingy ma bob to work. So if my spelling is bad please blame me.

An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away

2006-04-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

So, dearies, what do you think of my first intarsia project? I designed the motif. I knitted it out of some tapestry yarn, the kind you might use for needlepoint.The shop I work at has some for sale for $1 a skein. Perfect for when you just need a little bit of one color and dont want to buy 200 yards. Anyhoo. It is also felted. Which by the by took a long time. I had to stick it in with my neighbors wash once. It was costing way too many quarters. he he. Well yellow doesn't felt totally because it has too much processing but I still think it came out really cute. And now it is on the Internet for all to see.
Happy Knitting!

Knitting as Science

2006-04-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

You know,Dear Readers, it occured to me that knitting is like science. Yeah, I know, everyone talks about knitting as being so creative. But coming from someone who is creative on a regular basis, I see the science in knitting. We all know there is a lot of math involved in both science and knitting. But there is more than just math. There are theories and calculations. There is balancing these equations like in chemistry. There is biology involved. Physics, algebra. For example, take the sweater I am knitting for my brother. First I had to come up with a theory. Will this yarn choice with this pattern idea work. And the biology, does my brother wear wool. What other yarn fiber will work with my theory. Maybe cotton is too heavy. Then I had to experiment. To get the ribbing to work, to make the cable design work. The calculations for the decreases and how many cable designs will fit nicely on the sweater. Then I decide if the theory worked or didn't. Do you begin to see the science? How many of our children will become scientists through knitting? Who knows? But it is an interesting theory. Happy knitting dearies!

My First Baby Sweater

2006-04-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hey Dearies, once again I am back, but this time with pictures. I have to say that I am all fired up about knitting again. Or shall I say talking about knitting. I have been knitting all this time and have lots to show and tell. So here we go my dears. The first picture above is my lovely baby sweater knit in Fantasy Naturale by Plymouth Yarn. It is a wonderful worsted weight cotton and it comes in a ton of colors. This is a lovely aqua, purple and white combo. This is for a brand new addition to my extended family. The buttons in the picture of the matching hat most resemble the actual color of the buttons. They matched the aqua perfectly.

I benefited greatly in finishing the sweater by the arrival for Christmas of the book The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques by Nancie Wiseman. I tell you this is a great book. If you want your finishing to look really professional. Some ladies at the shop couldn't believe I had never finished a sweater before. They also said they had been knitting for years and had never seen a job done so well. So my dears, I was terribly flattered, but all the credit must go to the book.

Well, I also want to tell about things I am working on. Oh I finished Wavy, and I have a picture of that to show next post. And I am working on a sweater for my brother. I have the back and one sleeve done and am working on sleeve number two. Oh and the most exciting thing is the poncho thingy I am making out of all my one skein wonders. I will be putting alot of my secret pal yarn into it. I can't wait to show you. One of the ladies at my LYS made one and it is the coolest thing.

Also I made a cute intarsia design and then felted it. It came out soooo cool. I have pictures of that as well. I will put it on a felted bag. I will start the bag only when I finish the second sleeve of my brothers sweater. And dearies I have to tell you a secret. Shhhhhhhhhhhhh! I have a stash now. Yup. My LYS had a $3 a skein sale and I bought enough to make a sweater. Then I went to another yarn store who also had a $3 a skein sale and I bought enough of that to make a vest. Then I saw a pattern in k1 magazine to make a qwillow. A blanket pillow combo thingy. So I bought a bag of Merino Magic by Heirloom an Australian yarn company to make that. I bought a really beautiful red color. And the good news friends is that it is washible and the price is like $5.50 a skein. Lovely. So there is the terrible secret. And so you know that I have enough yarn and projects to write about for another year. He He
Happy Knitting Lovies!

Ok, I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

2006-02-08T16:37:00.000-08:00

Hello, all those fans in blog land. Yup, I'm back and have more exciting projects than ever. Ha ha.
Over my hiatus, I knit a fabu baby sweater and hat. Yes I have pictures. No they are not on this post. I am working on wavy (the scarf from knitty.com) I made a cute intarsia swatch. and I am about to start knitting a sweater for my brother. That dear friends is all in the works. Oh and a hearty good luck goes out to all those involved in the Knitters Olympics.
Ciao babes!

Just a Little Break

2005-12-21T16:55:00.000-08:00

Hi, all, I have decided to take a little break from posting. Probably until after the holidays. I am soo tired and have been soo busy. I will do one Secret Pal post showing the gifts from my pal and telling you who she is and who I was spoiling and then I am on hiatus. Have a Merry Christmas!!!

My Pal is Awesome!!!!

2005-11-29T18:47:00.000-08:00

Hi all, This post is to tell you all how awesome my pal is. After a small delay, I have received a very nice package. It contained a cute little bag that looked like a t-shirt. Three very yummy smelling candles. One of which I lit right away. It was called Moraccan Spice. Very nice. And a little votive candle holder that said something like loves to shop. He he. That certainly is me. And I got three coordinated skeins of yarn. In pinky-purplely shades.

I will post pictures later. But I really wanted everyone to know how cool my pal is. Sorry. I don't have time today to post the pictures. Possibly thursday.

Happy Knitting y'all.

Hee Hee Fast!

2005-11-23T19:28:00.000-08:00

I have DSL now. Very Fast. I just wanted to add a quick Thankyou to my Pal. So Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou. I really have loved getting the e cards. I loved the one with the sheep.
So Have a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the U.S. Not sure when Canada has a Thanksgiving. And enjoy the Turkey. And Happy Knitting too! Must finish, Christmas gifts. LOL!!!!

Nothing Much

2005-11-16T16:51:00.000-08:00

I'm about a third of the way through with wavy from knitty.com. Yay! It is turning out beautiful and the yarn is great and so are my needles. If you are good little girls and boys, there may be a picture in your future.

I sent my pal a package. And still no package from my pal. :( Don't know what happened.

Friday I'm going wedding dress shopping with my friend and her two kids, plus an extra one. (kid that is) I'm not looking forward to the kid part. I don't think I have ever been shopping with young kids before. What a treat! (sarcasm here) Oh well. Maybe it will be fun. I am hoping. :) I haven't seen my friend in a long time so I am glad to be seeing her. If I find a dress that will be a bonus.

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is next week. Holy cow, where has the time gone. I don't care really if I get my Christmas knitting done. If they want something hand knit they will just have to wait. I'm knitting as fast as I can. :) I refuse to stress. That's all for now. Happy Knitting!

Oh and to my brother if you are reading this. I have sent you a package, too.

Ummm, still no pictures,he he.

2005-11-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

I forgot the camera, so no pictures of helmetliner. :( But, I started once again on the wavy scarf. this time on fives. Yup, its going well. Starting to look wavy.

Still no package from the Pal. Did you send it to the right address? Hope it gets here soon. Cheery things are always welcome.

Well gotta go. A friend invited me to lunch today. She just finished her first scarf. Yay! She knit it on 35's. So it was quick, which she needed, she has two kids. And it is very cute. And she had some yarn left over to make a matching one for her daughter. Yay!!!

It is rainy here so a great day to pick up the needles. Hope you have a great day in Knitting!! Cheers.

Finished

2005-11-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

I finished the Helmetliner. Yay!! It is at work. If I remember I will take a picture of it. It turned out very nice. I made a little mistake on the decreases. Got a little distracted in my counting so they are a little funky. But everyone says it looks cool. I picked up stitches for the first time on that project but they came out looking great. So I worried for nothing. Ha ha.

So next project the wavy scarf. I cast on for it on Saturday, but thought the 7's were too big so now I have cast on for it on sixes. The sixes I bought on Friday for 25 cents a pair. I got two sets of fives as well. They were for sale at a boutique. (Which is sort of like a crafts fair. I never heard of these until I moved to California. Aparantly people here call them boutiques. I always thought a boutique was a small shop with women's clothing in it. So go figure.)

And I bought cute earings that look like scissors. :)

So that's the news folks.

Knitting News

2005-11-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

Fine, dear Readers, don't comment on the last post. See if I care. Be that way why don't ya!

So the shop has picked up. There were so many ladies for the sit-n-knit tonight. Too many in my estimation. When the store gets that packed I really can't stand it. It gets hot and noisy and I don't enjoy myself that much. But then I was there to work. Not have fun ;)

So I am almost to the part where you start to decrease on the Helmet Liner. I love, love, love the pattern. You knit a tube, then knit a few stitches then cast on more stitches, then knit more tube. Then you start decreasing. So cool. I thought this thing would look cute with eyes and ears added for kids. Very cute. Anyhoo I am soo excited still. I think I will continue to knit on it tonight.

Oh, I bought some yarn today. I bought Suri Merino by Plymouth in a dark blue color to make the Wavy scarf on knitty.com for a present for someone. Then I bought some Fantasy Naturale also by Plymouth in purple/green and white to make an adorable baby jacket and hat set for my future sister in law's new baby girl from China. Yay! And last but not least I bought some Cascade 220 Superwash in Black. For, guess what? Yeah, you know. Another Helmetliner for the Troops. Yay! Machine washable. How great is that? He he.

Take care dearies, and Happy Knitting!!!!

K needs are greatest

2005-10-31T21:20:00.000-08:00

Yup, dear Readers, I have succumbed to that meme. So here is what k needs.

1) K needs perimeter shooters. (I hope they won't be necessary, but you never know ;)

2) K needs you! (This is so true, dearies, I do need you)

3) K needs a new pair (ummm, a new pair of knitting needles, or new hand knit socks)

4) K needs a new bowling ball (I do need a new one, and I need an old one too)

5) K needs to stop being a priest (I think this should read nun, but ok I will stop don't have to twist my arm)

6) K needs advice (yeah and you better start giving it, too)

7) K needs fat in order to do this job (Send those pistachios my way, cashews, almonds and macadamias will do too.)

8) K needs a dreamer and a dream too. (hums, Dreamweaver)

9) K needs oil for hairclippers, do you have any? (Well, do ya, huh, huh, do ya?)

10) K needs no help at all. (Yup, you guessed it, practically perfect in every way.)

Thankyou one and all for reading and posting. Please don't stop now. LOL. And welcome to knit,daisy,knit. Nice post.

And update on the Helmet Liners. I am ready to cast on again and start knitting the head part after I counted and had one too many stitches. Didn't get to really work on it today as the shop was busy. Also the Cascade 220 superwash arrived today. Yay! It is very soft. Softer than the regular 220 in my humble opinion. Can't wait to buy some and start knitting. The first Helmet liner is going in the store for display to get others interested in helping out. Though I think it will eventually make its way onto the head of some cold soldier. But first a stint in recruiting. So that is all for now.

Happy Halloween!!!! and Happy Knitting, dearies!!!!

Good Times!!!

2005-10-30T18:19:00.000-08:00

Oh dearies, I was so down yesterday, if you saw my down post I removed it very quickly as I regreted it the moment I posted it. I realize I was just tired. Also my boyfriend has been working long hours lately and I am not used to that. I miss him. We have been together 7 years and have spent most of that time together. All day, everyday. In a small one bedroom apartment. And we still like each other. We are finally getting married in March, if I can pull it all together. :) Also we are sharing a car, and I am suffering a small amount of cabin fever. I can take the bus to a few places, but in LA it really is not convenient to go anywhere without a car. :(

Thankyou readers for posting comments. I appreciate it alot. And for those of you too busy or too shy to post, thanks for reading my blog. I am grateful.

Ok on to knitting.
Yesterday I started my first Helmetliner for the Troops. It is being made in Plymouth Galway in black. I knitted the neck ribbing, and finished about 4 inches. This morning I woke up at 7 am and picked up my knitting as I needed something quiet to do till the boyfriend awoke. And I finished the ribbing. (By the by it was really 6am as we just had daylight savings time and didn't set the clocks back. I have never woken up that early, ever, without coersion. It was a first. Well, I still feel a little tricked because of the daylight savings thing though.) Now I am working on the head part. I cast on the additional stitches and joined them. Now I want to recount to make sure I have the right number, just to double check, then I'm on my way.

I am really excited about this. I really feel connected to all the ladies in the past that knit for the men and women serving in the armed forces. And I hope these helmet liners make a small difference to their lives. Which I am sure are not always comfortable or easy.

Also I plan to whip out a few small blankets to put in the cages of animals in shelters. :) And the owner of the shop has ordered us some Cascade 220 superwash in black so we can make some helmet liners that are machine washable. Yay!!! I have to say I am really fired up about this. So things are good in the knitting front. Cheers lovies!!!!!

Ooooooooh Pretties!

2005-10-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

Well, finally dearies, I have a post with pictures. They are self explanitary, only I will explain them a bit more. The never-ending-scarf: If you look closely you will notice it pinned together (actually with locking stitch markers) I still have to sew it together where the braids meet. blaah. I don't much like finishing.

Red crochet scarf: pretty huh? I decided to put the scarfs onto something for effect. I think they looks so much prettier that way don't you. This project has been going on for some time but I wanted to get it out of the way for some more upcoming stuff I want to make. Namely some helmet liners for the Troops so they can stay warm this winter. I have started a whole charity thing at the LYS. People get a discount for yarn that they are making stuff for charity with. Plus we will probably have a couple of knit for charity days. Yay! I am very excited about this project.

Oh and the sleeve bits. Those are the start of the grey sweater with the increases in pattern. They are going ok so far, I think. But that is still all the further they have gotten. :( Well gotta go knit some Christmas Presents, but thought an update might be fun. Happy Knitt'n Y'all!

2005-10-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

This is the never-ending scarf, still not quite finished.

2005-10-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

Yay! Finished crochet scarf

2005-10-25T15:08:00.001-07:00

start of sleeve

2005-10-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

close up

New Mags, New Ideas

2005-10-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

Well, dearies, today I bought two new knitting mags. The new Knit It, and the Holiday 2005 Family Circle Easy Knitting. I am very excited. They both talk about Mosaic Knitting which I don't know how to do but am very interested in learning. It looks like a really cool technique. I like everything I have ever seen that uses it. So, now I am adding to future projects.

And they both talk about Charity knitting. Which I really want to do. But haven't yet. :( I want to make some of those helment liners for the troops. I think I will make them out of Cascade 220. It is very nice wool. And reminds me of home. I am orginally from Washington State. So....

Oh, and I also liked the ideas for the washcloths. I want to make my own soap and then knit washcloths to go with them. I think this will be a totally cool gift idea for next year. No time this year. I want to start early as I am a slow knitter. :)

Anyhoo, the magazines gave me a boost and I am ready to start knitting. So gotta go get those needles clicking. Happy Knitting lovies!

Much ado about nothing

2005-10-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow!! Dear Readers, I haven't updated since last Thursday. Where!!! Has!!! The Time Gone!!! Oh my. Well, nothing really is new on the knitting front. I am almost done with the knitting part of the never ending scarf. I am almost done with my red crochet scarf. (I haven't worked on that thing in like a month.) Hmmm what else. I have started knitting and am about half way through a fuzzy purple pink, blue orange, scarf like the fuzzy green one I made. I wear that thing alot so I thought I'd make another one just like it. I know, I know not much imagination there.

Someday I am going to make the Irish Hiking Scarf. I really like it. I even know what yarn I am going to use. It is the Suri Merino from Plymouth. In a sort of lavendar, green heather color. Very Pretty.

But first, I have to send my Pal a present. I wish I could tell what it is, but can't. Of course she probably has guessed who I am already. Well, no matter. I got a package from Knit Picks today. And in it was some lovely yarn for my Pal and some stuff for me. Well for me to knit anyway. I bought some of the Twirl to make into a bumpy scarf for my fsil. (Future Sister-in-law) and I bought her some yarn to learn to knit with too. In a bright pink color. Also I got the magnetic chart holder board thingy for myself. To help read the charts for my lace stuff. Which I have been totally neglecting. Bad knitter, bad.

Oh and it has been raining here . Perfect for knitting. So I should get on it. That's all for now, dearies, and Happy Knitting!

Oh and please leave lots of comments!!! All of you, no lurking this post. You can comment about anything you want (as long as it is tastful, this is a family blog, not HBO) just send me some love.

Happy Happy Aniversary

2005-10-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

Well, dear Readers, I have been knitting for a year now. I really don't know the exact date, but I know it was at the end of September. I have learned a lot and yet there is so much still to learn.

One thing I like about knitting is that two people can make the same pattern and the item can come out totally different because of yarn choice, or color. Or one person decides to turn that poncho/capelet into a skirt. That is sooooo cool about knitting. I saw a picture of Martha Stewart's new show and she had like 20 people who had made her coming home poncho. Each poncho looked so different it was hard to believe it was the same pattern.

Well, and then there is yarn. I really like yarn. Just looking at it. We got some beautiful yarn in the shop. Somekind of merino, alpaca, something. Beautiful. All the colors just gorgeous. It's called Terra, but don't remember the name of yarn company. And we got some Cascade 220 Quatro in. The colors were fabulous and the yarn was soft (for wool anyway) I love Cascade 220 yarn. I wish I could wear wool. I am almost willing to move somewhere cold just to knit myself a wool sweater. (I have to wear a turtleneck under it so it doesn't itch me.)

But merino wool is another story. I really think I could wear that. He he. We got some Suri Merino in from Plymouth. A merino alpaca blend. Oh my is this nice yarn. I highly recomend it. And the price is right at like $5 US a ball. (for 110 yds) Oh and Aurora 8 from Karabella. Very soft. Like butter. But it is a higher price. Can't remember how much exactly.

Today one of the teachers at the shop said something I thought very interesting, so I will pass it on to you. She said you should always have three projects (at least, this is my addition) One fairly simple one you don't really have to concentrate on. One that you are almost finished with. (And I take this to mean a sweater or something that takes a bit more time to make. So that you can work on it from time to time.) And finally something that challenges you. Like one that uses a new technique or new stitch you don't know. Or color work, etc.

Well what do you think? I did this unconciously. I have a sweater, and I like to always have a fuzzy, easy scarf on the needles. And then my hard stuff is the lace knitting. At least for now. Until I make myself that cool Fair Isle vest I've always wanted. He He. Oh and hats, :( I have yet to make one for myself that is right. The first one I made went to my neighbor as the color and the style were wrong for me. And the second one, sigh, is a little too big. I do have the world's smallest head. It's like a kids size. Sigh.

Knitting is a lot like life really. So many choices of yarn and pattern. Then there is getting gauge. And following the directions and making minor (or major adjustments) to suit you better. Only in knitting if you aren't satisfied with the results you can always frog it and try again. ;)

Well, dearies, enough for today. Happy Knit'n Y'all!!!!

Quiz-y Quiz-y

2005-10-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

You are interchangeable.
Fun, free, and into everything, you've got every
eventuality covered and every opportunity just
has to be taken. Every fiber is wonderful, and
every day is a new beginning. You are good at
so many things, it's amazing, but you can
easily lose your place and forget to show up.
They have row counters for people like you!

What kind of knitting needles are you
brought to you by Quizilla

How did they know this about me? :) It's a sign to buy the Denises.

This, That and The Other

2005-09-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers, I seem to have a lot of free time lately in which to post. I will try to keep you entertained, at least a bit. :)

In the weather: It was 101 degrees today. HOT, HOT AND MORE HOT!!!!!!!!!!! You could cook an egg on the sidewalk, if you really wanted to. And on my screendoor handle as well. Ouch.

Not really knitting weather. But I decided to start one of the Elizabeth I scarves. I love the yarn I bought, alpaca lace yarnin the brownish purple color. Why not work on something beautiful, and really now is NOT sweater weather. I will probablly start the sweater next week or the week after. Depending on two things. If I figure out the increases in pattern and if I have the needles already. If I go down to a US 5 I will have to wait to buy the Denises 'til I have the money for them. Either that or buy the stupid size 5 in straight. Then I will have pretty much all the sizes in straights. Hmmm still deciding. I do covet the Denises though. I tried them out at work. They were nicer to knit with then I thought they would be. They are really ugly aren't they? Ugly grey plastic. I think they should have made each size a different color. I like the tips, nice and pointy. But the plastic mold left little hangy things, so a little emeryboard work is needed so they don't snag on the yarn. They would be great to travel with. I plan on traveling as much as I can in the near future(or not nearly near enough future as the case may be)

I added a button. So feel free to takey takey. I want to make one of the bigger ones. But I really like the colors I chose on this one soo... for now thats it. :)

I am also trying to join the California Knitters Net Ring. Got the code up, just have to be accepted I guess. I want to join Acrylics Anonymous too. Ha ha. No yarn snob here. At least not until I get better at knitting. :) I feel almost as if I have too much in the side bar. Hmmm. Also I would like to start and FO link, but have no clue how to do it. And I like those % done thingy-ma-bobbers too. I am not to savy in code department, so no clue.

Anyway, got an incredible headache right now. Probably dehydrated. Or toxified by some cleaning I've been attempting. (notice I did not say doing, I am the world's worst cleaner) Ok so maybe that is enough for now. Happy Knitting dearies. I love all you are doing. Your knitting is beautiful. (Yes, I have been checking up on you) ;)

Down in the Dumps :( or at 6's and 7's ;)

2005-09-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

Just a quick little post to let you all know that I am down in the dumps. Had an emotionally draining morning and it left me depressed. I wish blogger had little icons like live journal does. Perhaps Blogger is more serious.

Well, I tried starting my grey sweater last night. Knitting the gauge and all. It is supposed to be knit on US 8's. I am down to 6's right now. Don't know if they will work or not. I don't have any 5's. So if the 6's don't work I will have to buy some needles. And this brings us to a dilema. I think it is time to get a Denise needles set. I get a discount at the shop so not as expensive for me. What do you think? They have sizes 5 to 15 and all the different lengths. This doesn't help me in the lace knitting department so I will still have to buy the smaller sizes. Hmmmmm. What to do?

Also the grey sweater has an allover pattern and you have to increase in pattern. Any tips on this that anyone knows. Help me out here people. Is it easier than it sounds. I think I figured it out, but.... What if I increase one stitch in from the edge? Uggg. Maybe this is too hard for me and I should try something easier. :( I do have all that lace yarn to knit into the Elizabeth I scarves. No increasing required.I also would like to try knitting my socks but, once again, I have to buy needles. Sigh. US 2's and 3's. And there is the debate about d/ps or magic loop or the two circulars. I don't know which to try first. :)

I seem to be at 6's and 7's trying to decide what to knit next. Blahh. Any suggestions might help. I am feeling a bit better just putting this all out there. Maybe I will be lucky and get some feedback. Thanks for listening. And as always lovies, Happy Knitting!

P.S. Oh Dear, let me see I should have told the pattern. According to my knitting dictionary it is call Striped moss stitch. So basically it is 5 stitches in moss stitch and 4 in stockinet and so forth across. It starts with the moss. So the first increase stitches should look like stockinet. But I wanted to increase one stitch in from the end. So Should I change the stitch one row before the increase to be the stockinet, then when I increase I can make it the moss? Do tell? Thanks lovies.

Celebration Time, Come On!

2005-09-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

Hello, Dearies, It's time to celebrate. I have officially finished knitting my sweater. Yay!!! I can't believe it. It's done. I think the best thing about it is that I didn't abandon it. Let's see, I started this thing in February according to this blog. (Good thing I have it too, as I thought I had started the sweater in December) So, I have been knitting this thing for seven months. Mmmmm. And I thought I would be done with it in a month. Ha ha on me. Well, I guess I just didn't take into account that I would not want to work on it for ohhh five of those months. So, I stuck with it and it is done. I still have to sew all the pieces together. :( I am not the best hand sewer around but at least I know how to do it. :)

So, let's post a few random pictures of things to add to the party mood, shall we?
The branching out scarf, in all its glory, full blocked and hanging in the shop.

The lace scarf on the needles is the one for my friend. You can't really tell from the picture but it is a very pretty light blue. The yarn is Crystal Palace Kid Merino in Misty Blue, which I just found out is discontinued. Actually all their pretty colors were discontinued. Blah!

and the last picture is the Knit for her Cure scarf(the one on the cover of Vogue Knitting) made from Muench String of Pearls. You knit three scarves and then braid them together. Let me tell I don't suggest making one of these. It takes forever. I call it the never ending scarf.:) Well gotta go. Happy Knitting! Comments are welcome. (as long as they are nice and clean and mostly knitting related,you get the picture) ;)

Thank you, Thank you Secret Pal

2005-09-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

The Goodies have arrived!!!! (sorry the picture is small. Blogger didn't want to let me post a larger one.) They are: on the left a bunch of tea, yay! I drink tea everyday. They have already gone in my bag for work. The top package is a wonderful smelling natural cinnamon potpurri. That is already in a box(a black laquer box I bought in Thailand) on my dresser making the air smell like fall and the anticipation of Christmas!!!!! Under that in the square is some lovely soap, very nice, and next to that is a tea light in a citrus scent. I already want to burn that. I have a copper holder just waiting for it. Tea lights are the best. I usually burn those, 'cause one time I fell asleep with candles burning. I was sooo lucky nothing caught fire. I remembered I did it like two days later. The glass tray the candle was on was shattered and there was wax dripped off the table onto the floor. The candle wax must have put out the flame. Boy did I have angels watching over me that night. Anyhoo, I digress. I love my new tea light. And then at the bottom is note cards with a K on them in Purple Ink. Yay, I love them. I will be sending those out soon enough as I want to stay in better touch with my friends and family who are far away, which is just about all of them. And last but certainly not least YARN!!!!!!!!!!!!! 125 yds of an orange-y pink 100% cotton yarn hand dyed. Very cool. (I own a pair of pants that color.) Worsted weight. I thought of a cool idea to use it already. Thankyou so much PAL of mine. You are very sweet. The package held up great by the way.

So to get the package I accosted the mail lady like halfway through her route. She knew I was waiting for it as I had accosted her yesterday looking for it. So she wasn't mad at me. :)

I have some other things I want to show but I think I will leave this post dedicated only to my Secret Pal!!!!

Oh by the way, I noticed, secret pal, you are from Georgia. My husband to be is from Atlanta. I will be going there for Christmas. I love Georgia. All the people there are soooooo nice.

And speaking of nice my lovies I must finish my sleeve. So Happy Knitting!!!! Oh and a BIG Happy Birthday to Lissa from Am Knot.

Adopted Purple Alpaca

2005-09-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

So, dear readers, I have adopted a purple alpaca, see him below left. His name is Herman. Isn't he cute. He should be able to supply me with lots of yarn. If only I spun. Ha Ha

And to my Secret Pal, nothing in the mail yet, I expect it will come tomorrow. My mailperson will be looking out for it. :) So don't worry. I can't wait for it to get here. My first Secret Pal package ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am soooooo excited!!!

Don't forget to pet Herman!!! and Happy Knitting!!

P.S. Sweater Update(If you would like a picture please see the post Aquasleeves in the Archives circa Feb): I have finished the left front. Yay!!! So I restarted the sleeve I didn't like. So that should go quickly. I might have it finished by the weekend. That would be soooo cool if I did. But the weather is so hot here I won't be able to wear it anytime soon. :( Also dear readers, I would like a vote. I need help deciding what to knit next. The grey sweater or the dark blue cardigan. A long time ago, I posted a picture of what the grey sweater will look like . So the dark blue cardi I have to make up myself. I have the Handy Book of Patterns. (The one that has hats, mittens etc. to help me.) It is based on a sweater I saw in the Vicky Secret Catalog. Kinda cropped with an all over sort of shaker knit pattern going on. So what do you think? Informal poll here. Now's your big chance to use your influence. He He. Oh, I already have the yarn for both so don't let that sway you.

Knit Picks and Bloglines and Strange Green Yarn, Oh My!

2005-09-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well, dear readers, I have a funny story to tell about work, but first to answer a few questions and to ask a few of my own. First, my pal, asked if I like KnitPicks. I love Knit Picks. They have great yarn at great prices. And the colors of the yarn are beautiful. I've only gotten one catalog so far, but I go over and over it planning projects, seeing which yarn will work with a pattern I have, etc... I am a little knit obsessed ok? ;) Anyhoo. I have some of the alpaca cloud lace yarn in Midnight, Autumn and Iris, and the Dancing sock yarn in Square Dance. I also have the Elizabeth the first lace scarf pattern.

Now I have a question for my pal, or really anyone who can answer, what is bloglines. My pal says she reads my blog on bloglines and I have no idea what that is, so please enlighten me. Thank you in advance.

Now, on to my funny story. I got to pick out some yarn to order for the store. Yay!!!! I picked Kid Soft from GGH. I picked like nine colors and my boss loved them all and we ordered them. Well then last week, thursday, we got a shipment from Muench with some Kid Soft in it. But I didn't remember picking out any of those colors. There was a strange green, that I know I didn't pick. The rest of the colors could have been something I chose,but well it just wasn't quite right. And there were only six colors in the order. But the packing list showed we ordered those colors. It just didn't add up, something was fishy.

So, we had actually written the colors we ordered down and none, not a one of the colors we got were the ones we ordered. Sooo. Guess what happened? My boss had ordered that same yarn from the sales rep and had completely forgotten. Then when I said lets get some of this, its really soft she said Ok. So, now we will have fifteen colors of the Kid Soft. :( I wonder if we will ever sell all that yarn. OOOOpppseeey! Oh well, it is really nice yarn. But really we have tons of mohair in the shop. I really do wonder if it will all sell. I mean mohair in Los Angeles? Do people wear that? I suppose a nice shawl for night time would work.

Of course we can't keep the wool on the shelves. Everyone loves to felt. Is felting a huge phenom other places? It's not like there is much time in the year to wear our wool sweaters in summer camp weather. But you'd think people would knit tank tops or summer stuff like that. Mostly though I see people felting and making scarves in funky novelty yarn. I think it is because they don't have to worry about the dreaded gauge. Could be?

I know, dear Readers, that you don't worry about gauge. Now do you? No. You are fearless, as it should be.

Cheers, lovies, and Happy Knitting!!!!!!

P.S. I forgot to say that I didn't finish my sweater yet. I started the arm hole shaping. Yay! But was hit with the Zombie Flu. I didn't feel sick just extremely exhausted like I was the undead. I thought something was really wrong with my health and couldn't figure out why I was soooo tired. They my boyfriend said he felt the same, just a case of Zombie Flu. I'm much better today, so I might finish the sweater by this weekend. Oh and maybe I should try posting some pictures once and while, ya think?

SP6 got me thinking :)

2005-09-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

Well, dear readers, I have been reading the blogs of the other SP6ers. They are alot of fun to read. I usally go right for the questionaire. Almost all the ones I have read are yarn snobs. Sigh. I don't blame them really. But to me there is something sad when you use really nice yarn and the thing you knitted didn't turn out very well. And it seems to happen even to the best of knitters, not just the beginners like me. Of course the joy is tremendous when you knit something well made out of sumptous yarn...so maybe the good really does outweigh the bad. I may be a yarn snob yet. Give me time.

I also saw some other Branching out scarves, others who like knitpicks....Its fun to see what everyone is knitting and also to see how excited everyone is to get there secret pal. I think this is due to the fact that people no longer write letters. When was the last time you wrote a letter? NOT a card, but a full fledged letter? Yep, I thought so... Anyway it is one of the great things in life to get mail, even a card that is hand written. Also it is something you can keep. To remember what a person was like, their sense of humour etc....I plan to send more in the mail from now on. To my friends old and new, to my relatives. Just a thought.

Happy Knitting!

P.S. I decided to look for more stationery so I thought I would look online for some cute stuff. It was all personalized and a zillion dollars. Does any one know of a place online to get nice and cheap stationery. I did see some on Cranes, I am afraid that all stationery now is almost $20 dollars (US) a box. I like the stationery that has more sheets then envelopes too. Do they think only one page will do? Yes I guess they do. Sad. :( Thanks for the input in advance.

Shhhhh I got a Secret

2005-09-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

So, dearies, I have a pal, well two pals actually. One I know who it is and the other is a secret to be revealed in Dec. So I think the secret pal thingy is cool. So far both pals seem really cool so I am lucky. I've already gone out and done a little shopping for my pal. Hope she likey likey.

I am super tired but I think I will work a bit on the long lost sweater. I swear I am almost done. I have about half of the left front done. Then I have decided to redo one of the sleeves. But as I recall they went really fast. So. Sew buttons on your pants. (that was some childhood saying, bet kids today don't say that stuff, too bad really) Oh and my SIL wants a scarf for Christmas. I already picked out her yarn when shopping for my PAL. What fun, What fun.

Love you all, dearies, and hope you are all well. You all are in my prayers. Amen.

P.S. This secret pal thing is great as I am reading others blogs and adding new ones I find interesting to my list. I definitely think this pal-y thing is a good thing. Cheers.

From Blue to Yellow

2005-09-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

Well, my lovlies, I was feeling blue, post before last, but now I am yellow. I started to finish my sweater. Yay! Also, I cannot wait for SP6 to start. I already bought a few things and have many more in mind. But, I want to wait to read my pal's questionaire before really buying anything. Hopefully, this will be fun and a great way to pick up one's spirits. Well, that is all for now, cause I want to get back to the sweater. Hoping to finish it so I can start on some new projects. Happy Knitting Y'all.

P.S. Update: I have finished the right front of the sweater and am half way up the left front. Yay!!!! I should be done by the end of the week maybe. If I feel like knitting. Which I really don't today (Sunday) But I did get a lot done so I am very proud of myself. Thankyou very much. Also can't wait to get Secret Pal, but have to wait ONE MORE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Secret Pal 6 Questionaire Answered

2005-09-08T23:26:00.000-07:00

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? I am not a yarn snob. Although I don't really like Red Heart Yarn at all, well on second thought the TLC Amore is nice though. Lion Brand is fine and I like Caron Simply soft. If the yarn is soft, then I tend to like it no matter what brand.

2. Do you spin? Crochet? I don't spin. I do crochet a little. I have made three scarves and a hat, in total.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) I can't wear wool at all, and mohair is totally itchy to me as well. The mohair scarf I knitted was for the shop(I work part time in a yarn shop). :( I know, I know please feel sorry for me. If a yarn is like 20% wool that is usually ok. Also, merino wool doesn't seem to bother me. Smoke bothers me as well. (probably because of the smog here in L.A.) Perfume is fine in stuff i.e. lotions, shower gels, soap. But I don't generally wear perfume as most is too strong and gives me a headache.

4. How long have you been knitting? As of the end of September, 1 year.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I have an Amazon wish list

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) White Musk from the Body Shop. I actually wear this as perfume and it doesn't give me a headache. Also, I like spicy scents, Cinnamon, Pumpkin Spice, that sort of thing. For flowers, I like Rose and Freesia. I also like citrus, orange, grapefruit, etc... and spicy citrus or spicy rose might be nice.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes, but I can't eat sugar. Please, really feel sorry for me this time. I even dream about turning down dessert because I can't eat it. Sooo sad. I used to love Creme Brulee. I do eat sugar free things, though. Cookies, candies, etc... and they have some really good and taste-y things now. Probably because so many people have diabetes. :( Oh, I thought I would add that I like to drink tea. Anything decaf. I like decaf black teas over herb teas, but can be herbal too. Anyway hope that helps.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Right now I am not doing any other crafts as I live in a tiny apartment, but I love quilting. I do some needlepoint. I have some cross stitch stuff, but I haven't done any of that yet. And I want to try melt and pour soap making, but I don't have a microwave. (Is this UnAmerican?) So, really only knitting and a tiny bit of crochet.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I love 80's and 90's bands and I mostly listen to women singers. Like Sheryl Crow, Avril Lavigne, Nora Jones and I like blue grass(Dolly Parton, Nickel Creek) and country and folk. I have an iPod shuffle, so MP3's are fine as well as CD's.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? Purple!!!!!! The darker the better. I'm not a fan of yellow including mustard yellow, but I do like pale yellow. Think jewel tones, as opposed to brights.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I have a fiancee, whom I live with and a wonderful little doggy. A brittany spaniel, who is 9. She will not wear clothes. She hates them. I tried putting socks on her feet once. umm. they didn't last long.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) I hope to be a lady of leisure with a large stash. (I'm joking mostly.)

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I love baby alpaca. It is my favorite fiber. Alpaca and silk, alpaca and ... well you get the picture. Baby Alpaca Brush by Plymouth is awesome and not super expensive. Cotton and cotton blends are always good as I live in a hot climate. I love Debbie Bliss yarn ( her alpaca silk is nice as well as cashmerino) and all the yarn I got from KnitPicks was wonderful. I got the Alpaca Lace Yarn and the Dancing sock yarn. This sounds yarn snobby. I like acrylics too. Anything soft and not itchy. Fuzzy.Yum.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? 100% Wool and mohair. They are ok in small percentages though. Oh, I don't like angora either, the little hairs float out and get in my eyes.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Lace, Lace and more Lace.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? No favorites, I have enjoyed knitting everything I have made.

17. What are you knitting right now? OMG, I have several things. A lace scarf for a friend. My never ending scarf for the store. My sweater that I hope to finish one day.

18. What do you think about ponchos? I like ponchos, but I am not sure they look good on me.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? I have all straight needles right now. I only own one circular size 8 x 16. But that is just because I haven't made anything that used them, not because I have a preference.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I like Bryspun needles. I like the tip shape. They are my favorites, but I have all kinds of needles, some bamboo, some aluminum, some plastic.

21. Are you a sock knitter? Well, I hope to be. I bought some sock yarn from KnitPicks(Dancing , the cotton blend one), but don't have any d/ps yet to make them. And I don't know the magic circle technique either. But, would like to learn it.

22. How did you learn to knit? My mom showed me when I was younger, but I never made anything just swatches. Then last year my mom was ill and I told herI would make her a scarf. So I got some books to refresh my memory. My blog documents all I have done since then.

23. How old is your oldest UFO? Not more than a year, ha ha.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? Yosmite Sam, and I love meerkats, lions and dinosaurs. And my absolutely favorite animal is my doggie.

25. What is your favorite holiday? My Birthday(How dare you say it's not a holiday!!!) and Christmas.

26. Is there anything that you collect? No. Hmmm, Yarn?

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I have no subscriptions, but I buy Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits mostly. I have some old copies(like from 2003) of Family Circle Easy Knitting that I like as well.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on? Yes, my Amazon wish list is loaded with them. Ha Ha. Just sort by priority that should help.

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another?? I would like a beautiful lace shawl pattern, either rectangle or triangle shaped. And not too difficult, I am somewhat of a beginner here,ha ha, ya know?

30. Sock size? I'm sorry but I have no clue about sock size. If someone would care to explain I will happily measure my foot. :)

What a Ponderful World.

2005-09-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

Dear, Readers, I have been doing a little thinking and I thought I would just share it with you. I have been thinking about knitting and blogging. I really enjoy reading blogs. But, not just any blogs. There has to be a sort of personality behind them, ya know? I was reading this one, on Lion Brand, and the idea behind it was good. The lady was going to document how she went about designing her own sweaters. Cool. Wrong. It was deadly dull. I prefer the one by the tattoo covered lady who has a tattoo artist husband. Even though she is not as great a knitter as the other one. (See my list of Blogs you might like. These are the blogs that I read consistantly.)

But, I also must confess, that some blogs depress me. I mean it seems that they post a picture every day of some new sweater, or intricate lace shawl that they have made. How am I ever to catch up? I can't make a sweater everday. I still haven't finished the one I started last November. I thought for sure I'd finish it within a month. I had all but the left front done. And I still have all but the left front done. mmmmmm. I am not sure what is wrong with me. But, I don't have the knitting bug like I did. Oh, don't get me wrong. I still love to knit. But, I just don't feel like it most days. I knit at work. (of course, I work in a knit shop for those who have just tuned in) I really don't get much done there though. And I tend to try to work on a project for work. And at home I like to knit for maybe an hour or two, once or twice a week. At that rate I might finish the lace scarf I am knitting for a friend by Christmas. (or she just might not ever get it, if the sweater is any indication)

Anyway dearies, enough of the depression, how about a little fun. I bought some yarn today at Michaels. I had a 50% off coupon for Labor Day. I got four skeins of Patons Grace, a lovely mercerized cotton. You know I just thought it might make a nice lace shawl, but I plan to make a racerback tank top out of it . I am going to make up my own pattern based off a top I already have. So I just have to knit to the measurements of the top that I have. And I will use the decrease formula from the Stitch and Bi@$ch Nation. So I will be brave. But first I should work on those projects that are on my needles, Dontcha think? Well dear readers, Please send me some cheer-y comments to help keep my spirits up.

P.S. I can't wait for Secret Pal 6. I saw all this stuff I wanted to get my Pal, but I don't know what he or she likes yet so I will have to wait. Uggggh! Well only a week or two till it starts, right?

And the Winner Is...

2005-08-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

Well, Dear Readers, here at last is the Branching Out scarf from Knitty.com
I made this as a sample for the store. It is made from Katia Ingenua. It is a little too itchy for me, it is mostly mohair. I like mohair to look at, but to wear =( Well if the yarn is mostly fake stuff with a bit of mohair I could possibly wear it . Anyway, It was really nice to work with, but I could not wear this next to my skin. With a turtleneck I could. So that is how I would wear it. I am making another one for myself with Kid Merino from Crystal Palace. It will be a lot more lacy. There is not so much mohair in it. More synth and merino than mohair. Kid Merino is a really nice yarn if you haven't seen it. It is soooo cute.

Well, not much is going on in the world of knitting for me right now. I have a zillion projects going. I counted. Its like 7 or 8. This is way too many. So the plan is to finish these and not start anything new for awhile. We will see if I can do this. This takes WILL POWER. (If you see him can you send him my way?) Also making another sample for the store. The Knit for Her Cure scarf on the front of the Spring/Summer 2005 Vogue Knitting, in the String of Pearls yarn from Muench. So that is another project added to the mix.

On a completely different subject, I painted my toe nails today. I haven't done that in a long time. They look good. It is important to have nice nails when you live in a hot climate as sandals are the rule. So, maybe I am not so depressed anymore. One can hope.

So, my dear, dear Readers, Happy Knitting, and sorry about that stupid spam message last post. I didn't even know people did that. (Roll eyes) What will they think of next. Wait, don't tell me, I don't want to know. (Sigh) No wonder people like knitting so much. No Spam. only lovely, soft yarn. Well until next time, Happy, Spam Free, Knitting!

Just a Quickie

2005-08-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

Dear, Readers, I joined the Secret Pal 6. I am sooo excited. I've been wanting to do it for awhile, but didn't know when or where to sign up. Or I missed it and it was in the middle of one. But, I read Lissa's blog Am Knot and she had a link, so the rest as they say is history. Thanks, Lissa.
That's all for now. Happy Knitting y'all.

Come to me, my pretties.

2005-08-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

Dear, readers, here are pictures of the scarf I am crocheting. I am afraid they don't really do justice to the actual piece. It is made of Sinsation. A very lovely chenille type yarn. This feels like velvet. Very soft. And it really is that bright red color. The texture it really cool, but doesn't really show that well in the photos. It just sort of looks lumpy. But in reality, it is quite nice. I made one just like this except in a very dark purple, for a friend of mine. It was fabu. So I thought I would make me one. This is a sort of Christmas party scarf, don't ya think?

Also, I started working on one of the Elizabeth I scarves. I bought the alpaca lace yarn from Knitpicks. And the pattern called for 4-6US size needles. So I got 4's. And I started knitting and I must say that I am not at all happy with the results. It is very loopy. And the one in the picture in the catalog is not as loopy. So I started to freak out about it. But then my rational self said. Well why not try(oh MY goodness) SMALLER needles. So I called a LYS. As there are many near my house. Ain't L.A. great? (There must be like 10 small LYS near my house. Not to mention all the ones not near me. Like Suss and Jenifer Knits. I think those are in Brentwood or Beverly Hills) And they had size 2US. Needles. Oh, did I mention that I wanted Bryspun flex needles. Well I had to have those. And the store I work at doesn't carry those. I think they are great lace needles. The tips are awsome. I like the material they are made out of too. I am sorry I don't have a whole set of those. But, who knew I would like them so much. Any hoo. I digress. So, I might get size 2 and 3's and see how I like those better. But my god. I thought the 4's were tiny. Sigh. I think this scarf might take me the rest of my life to knit.

So I guess I should finish some of my other projects in the mean time. Sigh. Why is it that I don't really want to work on them any more? Must force myself. Must knit WIPS. Must make FOs. Well untill next episode. Happy Knitting!!! And remember, there are still more pictures to come. Wait till you see the lace. Sooooo pretty.

Comeback Kid

2005-08-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hello! (echo, echo, echo, echo)

Anyone out there!(echo, echo, echo)

I know, dear readers, that I have sadly neglected my dear, dear, knitting friends. But, I have returned, hopefully rebuilt, bigger, stronger, faster that before. And I have pictures. Pictured here are the crochet scarf and matching hat. They are made of the scrumptious yarn Alpaca Silk by none other than that English knitting Goddess Debbie Bliss. The hat is not finished yet. It needs a few more rows on the bottom. So over all it will be a bit more red, to better match the scarf. Which really is that skinny. It is really cute on. (Oh, I forgot to mention that the scarf is my second crochet item ever. and the hat is my first attempt at crocheting a circle. I am proud of the out come. Go me.)

Maybe I will show it on when the weather here is not so HOT!!!!!!!! Oh, my has it been hot. I suffer, so. My apartment has a lousy air conditioner, so most days are spent lying perfectly still with a fan blowing the airconditioning on to me. So needless to say, not completely conducive to knitting. But my lovlies, I have other means. I work at a love LYS. That has blissfull airconditioning. So I have been knitting there.

I have many, many, UFO's to show for my long absence. But I figured I'd string you along, to (hopefully) get you back and interested once again in the exploits of a begining knitting fiend. I will tease and tantalize you with the idea of future posts. I have a lovely, fuzzy skinny scarf, that really only needs a few more rows and bind off.

I have a lovely daring red crochet scarf to wear for the holidays. (Christmas, so far, yet really so close, so get knitting on those presents NOW!) Made out of the lovely Sinsation, I believe by Plymouth yarn.

I am still working on my sweater. Blah. I don't know why I don't want to work on it. Maybe the heat.

I was working on a tam. But I decided to frog this and make it into a crocheted beret. I bought all these cute crochet hat patterns. One is a fedora. Very cute.

I have all that lovely grey yarn to make that other sweater. I am looking forward to that.
And now to my new found love. Lace knitting.

Yup, I am knitting a mohair lace scarf for display at the LYS. It is so nice. I have pictures of that are all ready to post. Just wait until you see it. I am really proud of it. It is the Branching out pattern from knitty.com. And I am making one for me in crystal palace Kid mohair in this great pink color. When I get farther on this one I will take a picture of that as well. The yarns are so different. The Kid Mohair is soooo delicate. Beautiful.

And there is more. Much more to come. I just bought the Stitch and Bitch Nation. Yes, finally. And some beautiful lace yarn from KnitPicks. The Alpaca Cloud. I got three colors. Midnight. Autumn and Iris. Dear readers, this yarn is breathtaking. So light and soft. Gorgeous. I bought the Elizabeth I lace scarf pattern to make these lovely yarns into. I can't wait.

Oh, and I bought some sock yarn, again from Knit Picks, to try my hand at sock knitting. So you see, the future looks bright. So please stay tuned. Adieu and Happy Knitting.

Too Little, Too Late

2005-06-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

Oh my, Dear readers, What can I say. I have been sick and depressed for a few weeks, so I have not posted anything. There is no excuse.

On the other hand, I have been knitting and crocheting up a storm. Unfortunately for you, I forgot to take pictures of the scarves I made for my aunt and my friend. I do have a picture of the yarn though so that will be coming shortly.

I decided to make a scarf like the one for my friend, but in a different color, so I will take a picture of that soon. I also am making a fuzzy scarf and the stripey crochet one. Yes, all at the same time.

To tell the truth though, I haven't really been in the mood to do much knitting. My mom's birthday was on May 19th. She would have been 75. So you can see whyI have been down.

But, on the bright side, I bought some knitting an crocheting magazines that are just too cool for words. I got the Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer. There are sooo many cool projects I want to make. Spring/Summer is the best issue for me because of the weather here. I also got Interweave knits, Knitting and a Crochet issue. There are things in both that I would love to make. So dear friends, if I can find some yarn that I can use, that is not too expensive there could be some cool projects appearing on these pages.

Or maybe I should finish the stuff I have already started. Perhaps that would be good. Sorry, I have been soo neglectful. I plan to do better in the coming months. Cheerio! and Happy Knitting! Oh, for those readers who don't knit, you should give it a try, you just might like it.

Little Miss Muffet

2005-05-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet knitting and learning crochet. Yes, dear readers, that is how our little rhyme should go. I have been learning to crochet. Just a little single crochet to start. I saw this cool stripe scarf to crochet in a book. I think the title was Learn to Crochet. And I thought I must make this. So, the rest as they say is history.

I don't pretend that I am any good at it at all, but I was having a bit of fun by the end, so this week I will practice, practice, practice, and soon I will buy some yarn to make a jazzy, snazzy, stripe-y, scarf. Yay. The stripes go the length of the scarf, which in knitting is impossible without a long circular needle, which I am too cheap to buy. LOL. So I am learning crochet instead. I am crazy.

Well, it is good to know a little crochet, so you can finish off the knitting, right? I haven't gone to the dark side, have I?

Busy Busy Busy

2005-04-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, so now that I have a job I haven't posted in like, forever. Ha Ha. Well folks, the job is a dream, surrounded by the coolest yarn of all time. With more. I said MORE, yarn coming in all the time. Am I still alive? Or is this heaven? I said HEAVEN.

So, there is one tiny downside to all this though. And that is I have seen all this yarn and now want to make a million things. But, since starting working I don't think I have knitted anything. Well I did start another scarf. This is for a relative of mine whom will not be named cuz they don't know about this. It is a surprise. I will post a picture of it soon.

Yes, Yes I got batteries for the camera. Yay! So you can tell me what you think. It is aquas and greens. Very pretty colors. I bought the yarn at the LYS. (of course) There goes the paycheck. LOL.

And, I have still not finished the sweater. ugggg. The knitting teacher at the store doesn't like Homespun. So needless to say I won't be bringing it to the shop. But, I will show you, dear readers, because you are wonderful and do not judge. Thankyou all and Happy Knitting.

P.S. Dear Readers, I added a link to my favorited tea website Adagio.com. I have ordered lots of tea from them and it is always good and I have never had any trouble with them. They are highly recommended. They have all kinds of teas, even stuff like display teas that look like flowers opening in your cup. Really cool. So check them out. My all time favorite is Yunan Gold under black teas. I can't tolerate caffeine much any more so I drink mostly decaf now, but I had some of the Yunan Gold left and I made some really weak and it was still really good. I do think tea drinking and knitting go together. So Happy drinking and knitting, dearies.

Interesting News

2005-04-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

Well, dear readers, I have some news. I got a part time job (Drum roll please) at my LYS. Yup. That's right. The one that I can walk to. Yay! I get to visit all the beautiful yarn now twice a week. I didn't ask, but I'll bet there is even an employee discount. And, the best part, I will be able to buy yarn, fabulous yarn, with the money I earn. LOL. I may even turn into a yarn snob. LOL.(I know, I know, but for now I still stand by what I said last post.)

What could be better. Maybe winning the lottery? There is a down side to that though. People call and ask you for money. Too much stress. But, this is definitely a good thing. And just think of all the things I will learn about knitting and crochet. I just needed a little something to do, that would get me out of the house and this is more than perfect. I start next week.

So wish me luck. And, I promise to tell you all about it. This may even liven up the old knitting blog a bit. So bye for now. Happy Knitting!

Orange Glow on the Horizon

2005-03-28T20:01:00.000-08:00

sweater I want to make

Well, I was so anxious to get these darn pictures up so you could see that I took bad pictures. Ha Ha. Well, obviously everything is not so orange or yellow. This is a picture of the sweater, the ribbed pullover, that I will make in Sterling, wish you could see the color better.

I will do better tomorrow. It is night and I took the pictures without a flash so this is what I got. I'd do better in daylight. But, I just couldn't wait to show you. Because the mailman came today with a package. Yep, below you will see the yarn for this sweater. Its really nice. It is called Bernat Satin. I think I called it Silk earlier. Sorry to confuse you. Anyway, it is a lot like Caron Simply Soft. It also is a no dye lot yarn. Sorry all yarn snobs, but it is a nice yarn and I don't like wool, so a nice acrylic is fine for me. Although I really liked that Debbie Bliss Silk Alpaca. LOL. No money right now for a whole sweater in that. Besides, I just started knitting late last year. Should I spend a lot of money learning how to knit?

I'm going on a little rant here. I really am tired of reading yarn snobs comments about how they would never use Lion Brand Homespun or a cheap acrylic. Well, I say, if it looks nice and feels nice and the color or texture is just what you are looking for why not use it. I think if you have taste it shouldn't matter the brand. But,perhaps those snobs only think expensive is tasteful. Well, secretly, I think most of them have no taste, so they just buy the most expensive stuff hoping it will do.

Also below is the scarf I made for my friend. The picture is way too yellow. I will see if I can fix it somehow. But, for now, you get the idea. Sorry everything is so badly done. I was in a hurry to post. So now you can get an idea at least. I will try to post something better, but I still don't have batteries for the camera and I didn't want to have to wait until I got some. Well, by for now. Happy Knitting!

2005-03-28T20:00:00.000-08:00

sterling

2005-03-28T19:59:00.000-08:00

friends scarf

Good News/Bad News

2005-03-27T18:04:00.000-08:00

The good news dear readers is, or I should say was, I was going to post the pictures today of all the goodies I had in store for you. The bad news is my camera batteries ran out of juice. So no pretty pictures until I get to the store and buy some new batteries. I thought I had some extra ones, but AA batteries just get eaten up by the electronics monsters. Those horrible beasties.

But, as I said before, there are wonders to be seen. LOL.

Lissa, I will be happy to tell all about Bernat Silk when it gets here on the snail mail express. (Which means it travels extra slowly) Ha Ha

Which Bernat yarn did you use on Mariah? I've looked all over your blog for the info, but can't find it. I can't quite tell from the picture.

Thanks for keeping the faith, my faithful readers, Happy Easter, Happy Knitting!!!!

Waiting for a little Silver to cross my palm

2005-03-25T18:50:00.000-08:00

Well, dear readers, I hope you didn't think that I dropped off the face of the planet. I am having pop up trouble and using the internet has been a pain, to say the very least. Ha ha. Anyway, I have finished the back of my sweater and have started the right front. Yeah. It looks pretty good so far. I will take a picture and post it soon.

I also made three scarves. Two for my sister and one for a friend. I took pictures of the friends scarf as it came out very pretty. It was the first time I knitted two yarns together. I used Debbie Bliss Silk Alpaca and this cute fuzzy purple yarn from Moda Dea. Dream in plum. Very cute. I love the Debbie Bliss yarn. Too bad it is so expensive. I think I would only knit with that yarn for the rest of my life. Ha Ha.

And I ordered some yarn, Bernat silk, in Sterling, a silver color. For a sweater I want to make. I bought this cute pattern booklet from Leisure Arts, with like 4 or 5 sweaters in it that I would want to make. And they all use worsted weight yarn. There is a cute wrap sweater, a jacket with a pleat on the back, a ribbed sweater, and scoop neck pullover, that I would make and several others that I wont. The sweater I will make first(the ribbed sweater) used the Bernat silk in Sterling, and it looked so pretty, I decided to use exactly what they used. This is rare for me, as I usually hate the color or the yarn they use. Lets hope this turns out well. I am tracking the package. LOL. In anticipation.

I will post a picture of what it should look like when I am done. So stay tuned folks, the best is yet to be. Keep knitting with a smile on your face. Bye for now.

Quickie Update

2005-03-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am again. I have been a little neglectful of my knitting as of late. But, I have still managed to knit about half of the back of the sweater. So slowly, but surely, I will finish it.

My sister wants me to knit her another scarf, so we will be yarn shopping this week. Also, a friend of mine's birthday is this month so I thought I would make her a scarf as well. That shouldn't take too much time away from the sweater.

Well Happy Knitting!!!!!!!!!!

Aquasleeves

2005-02-22T18:37:00.001-08:00

sleeves

Here they are. My first set of sleeves. Yes, they don't match. I decided that since the yarn has an ombre pattern I would not try to match any of it. So the stripes will be all over the place, but I think that it will have a nice look to it. Plus the colors when seen as an overall effect just look aqua.
Look below for an added treat. Happy Knitting!!!!!

2005-02-22T18:37:00.000-08:00

close up of sleeve

Surprise Poncho

2005-02-22T18:36:00.000-08:00

poncho

Here I am wearing that poncho I redid. Thought you'd never get to see it. Well, truth is I wasn't planning on posting it. I am not totally sure I like it. But, it is really cold today and as I was about to post the pictures of the sleeves, I put on the poncho for warmth. It is really warm despite the holey pattern i used. And so I decided on the spur of the moment to post the picture. Doesn't look too bad with the T-neck. The colors go nice together. Anyway, let me know what you think. As I am not 100% sure I like it.

Another Day Another Sleeve

2005-02-22T15:32:00.000-08:00

Ok Ok so about a week later, I am almost done with my other sleeve. I took a detour doing something else and neglected my knitting. For like a week. But I started up again on the sleeve and it is almost done. Just like 6 more rows to go at the top where you decrease so should be fast. I will try to post a picture of the sleeves, finished or not tonight. They look cool. Well my sweater will be handy with the cold weather so must finish it

We have been having a lot and I mean a lot of rain here. Yesterday we had a little flash flood down the street. Water was coming up over the sidewalks. Had to move the car or would have been flooded. Glendale(city where I live) has declared state of emergency because of houses on the hills sliding down. Lots of mudslides. Luckily we live in a spot where we are safe. Those poor people on the hills. So much to lose.

Well, see ya tonight with the pictures. Worth waiting for. Until then Happy Knitting!

I AM MAKING A SWEATER!

2005-02-14T12:36:00.000-08:00

Don't hate me because I'm making a sweater. Ha Ha. Remember that ad for Pantene ages ago. Anyway(did I reveal my age with that? Well, you are only as old as you think you are and that means I am still 18 or maybe I should be 21 so I can drink.) So. I am making a sweater. Yup, my first sweater. I am very excited about it. I started on a sleeve. I wasn't sure if there is a part you are supposed to do first, probably the back, but who cares I decided to do a sleeve so it wouldn't seem so intimidating. Not that it really is, but when you haven't made anything like this before it can seem a huge task.

I am about half way done with the sleeve. It is a very simple design that I got from the Knit It mag. It's a shawl collar cardigan that was originally in Kool Wool from Lion Brand. As I am totally itchy with wool I am making mine with Homespun from Lion Brand in Waterfall, which is a light aqua with purple and dark aqua and maybe some gray, but it is hard to tell it looks sort of purply gray. Anyway I think it will be beautiful. Cardigan's are great for LA weather, because layers are key. It can be hot outside, but cold inside in the air conditioning. Same for winter(if you want to call it that) It can be hot in the afternoon, but cold in the morning and evening, so something that easily goes on and off is perfect. So, needless to say I am very excited. Enough of the blog onto the knit.

P.S. I will post a picture of the sleeve, sometime, soon.

Just gathering wool.

2005-02-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking, my friends, what makes a WIP a UFO. How much time does the dreaded transformation take? Is it a matter of time? Maybe. Maybe not. Difficulty. Yarn choice. Color. Attention span. I think it is a complicated combination of some or most of the aforementioned.

I read a blog today by the designer of the Mariah on knitty.com,Jodi Green. She has ten, yes TEN, projects that haven't been finished. (Obviously she is in totally different league.) I on the other hand have been obsessing about the one hat that I haven't finished besides the poncho that I am currently working on. I have bought some new yarn to make a sweater jacket-cardigan thingy with, and have yarn for a vest, some hats and various other things. And yet I am constantly thinking of new things I would like to knit.

It is hard to get myself interested in the yarn I already have. I want new yarn. Why is that my friends. Just a short time ago, that was new yarn. It is not less pretty or less soft than it was before. Perhaps I think too much and should just shut up and knit.
So let it be knitted, so let it be done.
(That is a mutated quotation from the movie THE TEN COMMANDMENTS said originally by the hunky and bald (and no less hunky because he was bald, Yul Brenner.)

DEVO-ted to knitting

2005-02-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

WIP it good

Oh Dear Readers, I am so good to you that I decided to post my first WIP picture. (Really it is to liven things up a bit. I mean really. Two posts without pictures? Who would continue to read this if there were no pictures?

This is the poncho to be. A few more inches and this panel will be done. Then another just like it. Then a little attachment and viola... A poncho. Sorry this is so short, but I need to eat and then walk the doggie. Duty calls my friends. Then maybe some knitting. Let's Hope!!!! Happy Knitting to all and to all a good night.

Disaster Diverted

2005-02-04T15:33:00.000-08:00

Well dear readers we have some new developments. I finished the poncho made out of Raspberry Divine only to realize that I really don't like the pattern I used. I basically knitted a rectangle which you then fold in half. Then sew up one of the sides halfway for the neck. So what you get is a sort of lopsided poncho. Then you were supposed to put fringe on one side. Very asymmetrical. Ok, that is fine but when I finished I hated it. I mean the yarn was cute but the lopsided was not. So, yes dear readers I frogged it. Yup, now I am going to make another poncho with the same yarn, which is really Divine. This one will be two rectangles sewn together. Much better.

I thought I might be upset at finishing a whole poncho then deciding to tear the whole thing apart, but I am really happy about it. Now I get to knit another poncho with yarn I really love. So all's well that ends well. And that's all for now dear readers as I must do laundry and then start the new poncho. Happy Knitting!!! :)

When the going gets tough

2005-01-29T19:47:00.000-08:00

Well dear readers, things here in Knitville are a little on the edge. (I can't go into details because that would be telling) But when things get tough, the tough get knitting. And that is exactly what I have been doing. I saw a scarf in the Knit It magazine that I bought, that used a yarn that I already had and one that I didn't. So I went and bought the one that I didn't and then followed the directions. Well, can you sense it coming, folks? A disaster. Oh my! Did this scarf turn out ugly or what? It used a ribbon yarn and a chenille (Did I spell that right?) It looked cute in the picture, but in real life? What a dog! Argh!

So I spent one day's knitting time working on that piece of garbage, when what I really wanted to work on was this mohair poncho. I bought some Patons Divine mohair in Richest Rose and am making this poncho. I have no idea if it will look good or not because the real project called for Lion Brand Moonlight Mohair. Now folks I looked at the Moonlight Mohair and I just didn't see a color I liked. I love purple, but the purple had rainbow metallic all over it. Not for me, to say the least. The blue was nicer ,but. So I went with the Patons. Well the Patons is a bit fuzzier than the Moonlight Mohair so we will see. The poncho is supposed to be sort of a mesh looking thing knit on large needles. Well so far it is, but is somewhat fuzzier than the original. But I really have loved working with the Divine. I really like the Richest Rose. The color reminds me of raspberries. So I keep trying to think of another name for it, like Raspberry Cream, or Raspberry Mousse. Something light and frothy made out of raspberries, but I really don't like either of those names. Anyone have any other ideas? I seem to be out of creativity right now.(Not too surprising considering)

Don't you love dark hints? Any way, if the poncho turns out you will see a picture of it up here shortly as I have been a knitting fool and am almost finished with it. You know, when I really like a yarn and the project it just flies! My significant other says I knit with a little smile on my face.

But, when I was knitting that ugly scarf it was like pulling teeth. Well, my dream yarn is some of that Debbie Bliss alpaca/silk stuff. Sooooo soft. My LYS has some for I think eight dollars a ball(US of course). Not bad, but I want to make a sweater and that would take 10. Not in the budget right now. So I will dream and visit the yarn as often as I can. (Did I mention folks that I can walk to my LYS.) Please don't hate me.

So, I still haven't finished my tam, nor started anything else that I said I would. The mohair called to me. SO, gotta go for now dear readers, happy knitting!:)

New addition

2005-01-21T19:47:00.000-08:00

Just wanted all to know that I finally added Heather's blog to my list on the lower left of other blogs to read. And once again I would like to say I am sorry to hear about Pat's Grandma. Love and knitting to my readers! :)

Fun with fur

2005-01-14T15:35:00.000-08:00

Fuzzy scarf

Hello dear readers, here is a picture, a not so good picture of the scarf that I made for my sister. Her birthday is tomorrow. It is made with fancy fur from Lion Brand. The color is stormy sea. Very pretty.

So, I bought a magazine yesterday. The new Knit It put out by Better Homes and Gardens. (You just know I have one of those "Better" homes, don't you?) I have to say there are several projects that I want to make and some cool ideas to make up something of my own. So needless to say I am very happy with my purchase. Usually the projects use some kind of very expensive yarn not easily gotten, but they had some sweaters made with yarn I actually knew without having to look in a catalog. Amazing. Maybe I will get a subscription. But who knows I already have more magazines than I can possibly use. I think it is time for some January cleaning. Why wait until Spring? The weather here today is a sunny 73 F so why not.

Well, now what to do for my next project. I am in mid knit on a hat. I have yarn to make a vest. And I have yarn to knit some preemie hats to donate for little babies cuz hospitals need them. So. Where to start. Perhaps I will finish my hat. Then start the vest. If I get bored with that, then I can start a preemie hat. The hat should be able to break up the huge task of the vest. Then when all those projects are done, I can add to my stash and make some more stuff. Yay!!!! Well until I post again.... Happy Knitting!! :)

Back in Action

2005-01-10T17:13:00.000-08:00

I'm back,back,back and ready to knit. Actually I am knitting. My sister is having a momentous birthday this week and I am knitting her a scarf. Yes, yet another scarf. I actually like knitting scarves. There is something soothing about just straight knitting. Not having to worry about a pattern or dropping any stitches. Just knitting fun. This scarf is really cool. I am using fancy fur from Lion Brand. It is black eyelash with bits of blue and green pom poms. Very cute. It will be very skinny and is knit on size 13US needles. A picture will be coming soon. As soon as I finish and as soon as I take a picture. After all folks I have not yet unpacked from the trip to the deep South. A trip I was sick on the whole time. I spent two weeks in bed instead of visiting and seeing sights. Oh well, now I am back for the rain storms in LA. At least the weather is good for knitting. :)

Thankyou!

2004-12-19T17:56:00.000-08:00

Ok, Thankyou guys for your wonderful comments. I returned back to really hot weather and have a terrible cold. Now, I have to get ready for the trip to the in-laws for Christmas so no time to knit. Not that I really feel like it anyway. So, Please have a wonderful Christmas (even if you don't celebrate it) and a Happy New Year full of wonderful times and lots of prosperity and lots of new knitting projects of course!!!!

She who started it all

2004-12-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

My mother, who taught me how to knit in the first place, passed away today.
May God keep her well.

If I were a cartoon I would look like this.

2004-12-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

k

This has nothing to do with knitting except for the fact that I got this off of Am Knot. Lissa has the cutest stuff to goof around with on her blog. I am going to put a link. On my blog links list. Thankyou once again Lissa. Happy Knitting everyone. Actually that is what I should be doing now or I will never finish my hat in time for the frozen North. We will see. :) Gotta go.

I am Mohair. Who Knew?

2004-12-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

You are Mohair.You are a warm and fuzzy type who works well with
others, doing your share without being too
weighty. You can be stubborn and absolutely
refuse to change your position once it is set,
but that's okay since you are good at covering
up your mistakes.

What kind of yarn are you?

I am Mohair. So go figure. I got this quiz from Lissa's blog. Am Knot. Thankyou Lissa for the fun quiz!!! Now knit long and prosper? :)

I'm Ready for my Close Up Mr. DeMille

2004-11-30T13:50:00.000-08:00

Close up

Here is a close up of the scarf I made for my friend. Here you can see the colors and texture better. I used Lion Boucle from Lion Brand yarn. This is an acrylic mohair blend. All the colors for this yarn are wild. The hard candy color was the least wild. This one is called Sorbet. Raindbow Sherbet would also be appropriate. Enjoy!!

A Day to Go Down in History!!!

2004-11-30T11:18:00.000-08:00

Scarf # 2
Dear Readers, And you know who you are, I must say I am speechless. Well, as that is impossible, I will say I am very very very Happy!!!! Yes, there is a reader. Perhaps just the one, but one is all I need. So, Thankyou Reader!!! I certainly have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I am going to visit my mom for about a week, so no posts then as I won't have access to a computer. But on the bright side I will try to post before and after I go so there won't be too much lag time. Also, I will be spending Christmas with the in-laws, so two weeks away from the computer. Not too terrible as I hope everyone will find other things to do during the Holidays. Better, heartwarming, fun, things.

Well, on to knitting. There above is the the picture of the scarf I knit for my friend. Very colorful. But, I think it could look really good with jeans and a bright t-shirt. (Notice that it looks similar to the other scarf that I knit. Yup! you guessed it. I knit the same pattern as the one for me.) Also, after it is washed a bunch I bet it will be really soft. So there is that.

I finished the deformed mitten. It looks ok. It actually fits my boyfriend. It was supposed to fit me. HA Ha ha! Well, I think I measured my gauge wrong as well as following the instructions wrong. But, as the mitten was only for practice, well I must say I learned a lot from it. No, there won't be pictures of the mitten. What? and ruin my reputation as the world's greatest knitter? Never!!

Well, so I have started on another project. It is a hat, they call it a tam. I am knitting it as I am soon to brave the frozen North. (to visit my mom) It should be snowing up there by now so I am preparing myself for the worst. I used to live up there, but now I am used to the California sunshine so I am preparing for a week of being cold. Hopefully, cute, but cold. I am making the tam out of Red Heart TLC Amore. This is actually a really cute yarn. Red Heart aside. It resembles a towel. Sort of fuzzy like that. Only softer and cuter. Anyway you can't beat the price. As I am in the ranks of the unemployed right now, cheap is good. But, enough can't be said for this yarn. I like to think I have taste. And I think this yarn is really cool. Soft and fuzzy. I have a penchant for soft and fuzzy. It is multicolored, navy, and purples. Purple is my favorite color. If I have time I will try to knit a scarf that matches. I bought two skeins of the stuff, so that should be plenty. Well, that is all for now. Happy knitting!!!

Knit and Tell #1

2004-11-15T15:18:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of my second project ever.

So, I figured out how to download pictures from my camera to the computer and now how to post them to the internet. I swear I am getting too old for this technology crap. Ha Ha just kidding. I actually think it is pretty neat. I always get a little frustrated at first because I don't know what I am doing or how it actually works. But, once I figure it out, well then I love the stuff. So soon I will post a picture of the scarf I am working on now. It has a bunch of crazy colors in it. My friend that I am making it for loves crazy colors. She is an artist. A very good one I must say. Well, just wanted to try posting a picture. Now back to knitting. :)

P.S. I am soo excited. I know this is going to sound stupid, but since I am the only one reading this, here goes. I figured out how to put one of those picture link thingies onto my blog. Ha Ha now I am a web genius. I know we've been over this genius thing before, but well, what can I say. I am a genius. Ha Ha!!!!!!!!

With Knitted Brow

2004-11-13T13:39:00.000-08:00

Well, Dear Readers, here I am again. This time with many questions. I was sitting, knitting, and thinking, the last thing being a very dangerous thing to do, as I have learned over the years. And I was trying to decide the purpose of my having created a blog. Do I want thousands of adoring fans to read my blog? Or is it just for me? If it is just for me, why the heck am I putting it on the web for people to see? Well, if truth be told, I really don't think people will read this, so I guess it is just for me.

I need an outlet for talking about knitting, and a place to record all the projects I create. I am not a scrap book type so I thought maybe a blog. Anyhow, I just started knitting a few months ago. (My mother showed me how when I was much, much younger, but I never made anything, not a scarf, nothing.) I went to visit my mother who is very ill. Dying really. And she had some knitting magazines in the car and I thought I would show it to her as I really couldn't see my dad sitting with her talking about knitting. We looked at the yarn, and the pictures of the sweaters. Then I said to her, " Hey, mom, want me to knit you a scarf?" She smiled and seemed pleased. (She wasn't talking at the moment, she did start talking and improving when she got the scarf about 5 days later, including the shipping time.) I don't mean to sound as if my scarf helped her improve. I think the gourmet french food she ate helped more. And the food my brother has been making for her in his Vitamix. (She can only eat thickened liquids) She loved the scarf though. And little did I know, but at that moment a monster was born. A knitting fiend.

I have been knitting like crazy ever since. Not a really long time but it seems like constantly. I have knitted to date, that scarf for my mom, a scarf for me, a hat I gave to my neighbor because it looked terrible on me, a scarf for a lady who was a neighbor, but we moved so is now a friend. That scarf was soooo soft and cute. Fluffy and pink, made out of a Plymouth yarn called Geisha. An import from Italy. (Not to be confused with the Noro Geisha yarn, in case someone actually reads this.) And now my current WIP is another scarf. For another friend. This scarf is very colorful, with orange, pink, green and turquoise bits. My friend is an artist and loves colorful things. I will post a picture of it soon. I just got a digital camera and have yet to load the software onto the computer, so for now the pictures stay on the camera.

Well now that I have a purpose for this blog, I feel much better. I am also making a mitten. Yes, just one. It is for practice. So far it is a little malformed. The pattern was a little vague, for a beginner, if I was seasoned I probably wouldn't have been confused, although you just never know. Anyway, I do know what they meant now so next mitten I make will not be so strange. As of today the mitten is a WIP. Well hope this is not too boring with out pictures. Soon. I promise. Well I kiss my angels a good day. (Back to knitting)

P.S. As though this post wasn't long enough!! Anyway, I just wanted to share that I figured out my Links dilema. Am I a genius or what? (Please no comments on the genius part)

Grand Opening

2004-11-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

This is the Grand Opening to my knitting blog. If and when I get my act together I will post pictures of my knitting for all of posterity. Or perhaps the one or two people who decide to read the ravings of a knitting lunatic. Thanks for tuning in, folks!