Flock Ewe

Flock Ewe retires

2011-03-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to put my middle finger away and start a legitimate blog that reflects my teensie business, Knit-University.

I had fun trying to join the blogoverse with Flock Ewe and pleased to see that I have actual followers! Thanks to you who liked reading my blather. You can find more of it at the new blog.
See you there!

Lindsey is neglected!

2010-11-14T18:57:00.000-08:00

I have abandoned Lindsey, she is a looser and I seem to have no interest or time to be bothered with her what so ever!
Uh...you do know that I'm talking about the sweater, right?

It appears that I have no time to blog either. I have been spending some time trying to take my little business somewhere. We had a little retreat in Oct. I think there was a good time had by all.

I have been knitting too. Since my last post I've made a Christmas stocking and two Ice Queens and other stuff too I'm sure.

Right now I am working on a hat that I'm teaching this month. I LOVE it. It's in Vogue Fall 2010. the original yarn called for in the pattern was discontinued. I substituted Brown Sheep, Nature Spun sport weight. This yarn is really wooly while still being quite soft! The colors are pretty close to the magazine photo...don't ya think?

Knit-University

2010-07-14T15:40:00.001-07:00

Things are changing for me at the yarn shop. I am now an independent contractor. I started a web site so folks can keep in touch with what and where I am teaching. I am running the retreats myself instead of through the shop.
Stop by and if you are interested. Join a mailing list or email me a testimonial if you are so inclined.

The site is still under construction. If you have any suggestions as to how it can be more user friendly please let me know!

One skein into Lindsey & Happy 4th

2010-07-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July to you!
I am on my way out the door to exercise my Patriotism.

I finished one skein of the Merlin that I am using for this sweater experiment. I charted the basic cable locations. I am throwing in cables in a semi random manner with the exception of the center cable. For that one I am going to be consistent. I am a little nervous about the finished dimensions as I have realized that I won't drop the purl stitches until I have the whole front knitted. If the size is crazy big I may have to go back to square (or stitch) one.

the math lied

2010-06-29T21:28:00.001-07:00

According to my calculations this ribbing should be 22" wide and as you can see... it certainly is NOT! Oh well this is why knitting teaches us patience. I will rip it out and start over.

casting on 96 stitches on a size 7. Too bad I have given up desserts on weekdays I could use some chocolate about now.

more swatching

2010-06-27T21:08:00.001-07:00

My second swatch (on the left) for the big comfy sweater that Lindsey Lohan is wearing in my previous post came out closer to the gauge in the photo. But, I think I am going to go with the look on the right.

On the Left: 24 stitches. 2 x 2 ribbing with size 8 needle. On the last row of ribbing I decreased all the P2 to P1. I switched to a size 11 needle and on the WS row I did a M1 for each of the purls that I would be making on the RS rows. That way, when I dropped those purls (to make all of those ladders) they would stop running when they reached the ribbing.

Are you following me so far?
On the Right: 24 stitches. I made it the same way I did the lefty swatch with the exception that I used a #7 needle on the ribbing and a #10 on the body of the swatch.

I picked this pumpkin colored sweater in my closet to use for those over-sized measurements. My pooch, Minnie, insisted on getting in the picture. I think she looks pretty cute!

Above is my schematic. The swatch is 4" wide at the ribbing (5.33sts = 1")
and 7.5" for the body (3 sts = 1")

The back is one big rectangle and according to my Pumpkin sweater I need to make the ribbing 22" and then increase to 25" wide. With 5.33 (ribbing) stitches to the inch I will need to cast-on 116 stitches (22 x 5.33= 117.2) [this figure turned out to be wrong I ended up with 96 stitches for the cast-on]. I need to chart out where I am going to put the knits and the purls above the ribbing. My interpretation of the sweater I am copying is that the cables are thrown in randomly. I'd like mine to look that way too. I have to be careful and put the drop stitches roughly at the same frequency as the swatch. Too many and my sweater will be too wide!

edit: ugh! I made math errors in the last paragraph, they have been fixed.

Swatching for Lindsey

2010-06-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

Deborah, you liked Lindsey's sweater and said "let's make it"....here goes!

I decided that this slouchy sweater should be made with a firm sort of yarn. Louet - Merlin (Merino and Linen) is what came to mind. It's machine washable and dryable and the linen component should add some stability to the floppy nature of this loosely knit pullover.

There are some mathematics that I am going to have to sort out, I want the closely knit ribbing on the bottom and edge of the sleeves which then transitions to a way bigger needle for the rest of the garment...not to mention the way it widens after dropping the stitches.

I ribbed with a #7 and then used a #10.5 for the cable bit. The ribbing is too narrow for the rest of the swatch. I am thinking that I may bind off a stitch at the point that the dropped stitches originate. On the next row I'll have to add a stitch that will later be dropped.

Just think, Lindsey just had to drive to some posh boutique and pay $800 or so for that sweater she's wearing!

Lindsey

2010-05-31T22:13:00.000-07:00

Do ya like this sweater?
I do. I think I'd like to make one for me.

Love Ya!

2010-03-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

My Friend Nancy passed away unexpectedly in her sleep last night.

She was a true friend. She was smart, funny and unpretentious. She loved God, her family and Dodger baseball. She drank Tab soda and gave of herself to others every day. She gave great advise in times of trouble.

I taught her how to knit and she was my student for the last 5 years. Knitting didn't come easy to her and yet she persevered and made lots of beautiful project, all as gifts for loved ones.

She stood up for me when my character was being threatened.

We were a mutual admiration society. Whenever we would depart either by phone or in person she would always conclude with the same words...
"Love ya!"

I am going to miss Nancy tremendously and I will forever remember her and those words....love ya.

Knitting Weather

2010-01-19T08:42:00.000-08:00

I was all set to make a blog post yesterday when the weather knocked out my internet! It poured down in buckets ...great weather to just sit and knit!

I owe you my dear reader(s) a couple of posts. I am swamped right now with work and a family health issue.

In the mean time check out this beautiful yarn bowl that I got at Sock Summit. It was made by a pretty lady named Jennie. She was quite pregnant when I saw her. Here is an article about her great looking stuff on Knitty. As you can imagine, she had to change her business life when a baby entered the picture. Read the blog post here to get the details.

When I can I will post about my New Years trip and the TNNA. I am knitting something new. My almost-Daughter-in-law wanted a little black cardigan for Christmas, I told her I'd knit one if she'd wait until January. Black is hard to photograph, I may only show it when it's done and she's wearing it.

Haitian disaster

2010-01-14T11:43:00.000-08:00

Please read the Yarn Harlot's latest post.
If you are so inclined please donate to Doctors Without Borders or the charity of your choice. I have put a permanent button with further information and a charitable challenge for knitters. (look to the right)

Even a small donation matters.

Taking a sick day

2010-01-05T12:05:00.000-08:00

I have lots of pictures of my trip to Northern California. But, I am taking a blog break due to having a COLD! I thought that I was going to avoid it by taking stuff when I first got symptoms and then we arrived home and wham...cough cough cough.

I have to get better for the TNNA yarn trade show that starts on Thursday!

It's Christmas!

2009-12-25T09:28:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!
I hope you spend the day with a lot of family and a little knitting!
oxoxoxo
Peglett

My tribute to Sterling RIP

2009-12-23T07:43:00.000-08:00

Fourteen years ago we found a 6 month old kitten in our neighborhood. She was a dirty matted angry little mess. I nicknamed her Grumpus because she was so combative, you couldn't even pick her up. Hissing, growling, scratching and biting were her calling cards. Two neighbors tried to take her in, but she was too mean to their other pets.

We named her Sterling and gave her a home, gradually she became a part of our family. She never lost that fierceness ...it did soften a bit.

Seven years ago she was in kidney failure. The vet thought that she was a gonner. It was December and I just wanted her to last til after Christmas. We changed her to a prescription food and she got better. The vet says that you can live with 60% kidney function.

Sterling on 12/22/09

After 7 years on borrowed time, her health finally took a turn. Yesterday was our last day with her. She went out the way she was in life, growling, hissing and scratching...what an amazing kitty she was. We miss her.

Pattern love

2009-12-13T13:23:00.001-08:00

We have a new yarn at the shop, Berroco Seduce. I found the perfect pattern for it on Ravelry. It's a free download, the pattern is called Modern Mermaid scarf. I have it memorized and between the easy, pretty pattern and this very lovely yarn I am seduced! I need to write Christmas cards and make candy and all those other things that need attention. Instead I am drawn towards this scarf!!!!

Those little mice are telling me to get back to Christmas!!! eeek!

Checking that list

2009-12-12T08:17:00.000-08:00

I don't know about Santa's list...but mine is very long. I am chipping away at my personal list and the one I have for my job(s) at the shop.

The scarf above is "Babushka" it's a Mac N Me pattern. It was not difficult, but did seem to take for-ev-er. Starting from 3 stitches and increasing in seed stitch to 300! Then there was that nice ruffle! I really like it and will probably make one for me some day. This one is a model for the shop.

I used Alpaca With A Twist- Fino. and a size 5 needle.

That's my Christmas tree there in the background. I have to put presents under it don't I? Most of them have been bought, they just need to be wrapped. The candy still needs to be made and ....ugh I can't list the things that need to be done ...I think I just need to go do them!

Do you think there is a way to be completely prepared for Christmas without stress? How early would you need to start to achieve that?

I can check off the "make a blog post" entry on my long list. Now I have to go to work and teach a few women how to knit.

Thanks Pal!

2009-11-25T08:07:00.000-08:00

Hey! tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I am short on time. I just wanted to send out a little thanks to my blog friends. I may not have a big following, but I do appreciate that there are people out there that read my blog!

Hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow with your family, friends and food. If you aren't in the U.S. why don't you try counting your blessings and eating too much tomorrow too!

who isn't busy?

2009-11-17T22:30:00.000-08:00

I need more hours in the day. Don't know how to get those, so I am throwing out a lame quickie post.

AND! no matter what I do to this picture it appears sideways!!!!!

So, you will have to tilt your head or your laptop. bleh!

the light blue thing is a poncho I just finished...I really like it.

The square is for a charity blanket for someone on Ravelry. The red is called Babushka. I'm making it for the shop.

the socks are being made with Paca Peds.
sorry about the no details and bad photo insertion. This is the best I can do with the time I have.

is it possible that next week is Thanksgiving?????? eeeek!

Dear Deer Hat

2009-10-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

I finally finished this hat for my friend.

I had to complete a little child's sweater and repair a store bought sweater for two customers before I could complete this fun hat.

Here it is soaking in water before blocking.

The entire design can be viewed in my projects page on Ravelry .

I did a few modifications. I added ribbing on the bottom which meant I had to remove rows from the top of the chart. I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

I love technology

2009-09-20T17:24:00.001-07:00

On the left is the chart I am following for my hat. I kept ripping out the same three rows and finally figured out that my brain didn't like switching...dark yarn light squares...light yarn dark squares.

So- I opened it in PhotoShop and swapped the colors. Then I enlarged it. So much better! I think technology and good knitting go hand in hand.

The chart is obscured to keep it a Christmas surprise. You can see the full Monty in my projects on Ravelry.

I finished the lovely scarf. This photo doesn't really show the gorgeous colors. I decided not to block it. It's all soft and unstructured, I am looking forward to cooler weather so I can wear it!

Gauge Gauge Gauge

2009-09-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

I'm starting a Christmas present. A hat for a friend. I'll have to disguise it a little to keep it secret. (If you are really curious you can see the entire chart on Ravelry)

Sally Melville said "The decisions made in the first hour are hugely important to the success of the finished product."

I think she was being optimistic on that time frame.

She's talking about that gauge swatch. It's something that no one likes to do, yet it is so important! I thought I could use that worsted weight yarn on the left. You see the resulting swatch. I did the math and had my friend measure his head and found out that I would have had to do a major alteration to the chart to make it fit.
So I chose to change the yarn. The DK weight on the right (Berroco, Pure Merino DK) should be the right choice. I am still going to swatch it up to make the final decision on which size needle to use.

I'll be happier with my finished product because I am doing this work in advance!

No knitting: KITTY shenanigans

2009-09-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

I got such a kick out of this Kitty I thought I'd share it with you.

If you don't like cats, move along...nothing to see here.

Wee toe-up

2009-09-08T22:31:00.001-07:00

When I am not working on the two scarves I've been writing a pattern for a toe-up sock class. Here is the wee sock that we will make in class.

The one on the bottom has a stretchy bind off. I put a backwards loop in between the knits and purls in the row before the bind off. You can read more about it here.

Knit me out to the ballgame!

2009-09-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

A quick post. I am on my way to a Doger game this afternoon. I'm looking forward to some funky stadium food and good company and that long drive with two hours to knit!

I have made some progress on my scarf and started another (for the shop) The red one is Twisted Sister's "Mirage" yarn ...the pattern is called Gilda. I am having issues with the fact that the pattern says it uses only one skein of yarn and I am certain that this scarf will be quite short. We will soon see.

Needles and post SS pics

2009-08-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

I had to use my new Signature Needles right away.
They are 7" long and size 7. The yarn; bought at SS, hand dyed by Teresa Ruch it's two strands...one bamboo and the other tencel.

The pattern for the scarf I am making out of this glorious yarn is Palette from Knitty.

The needles are a work of art. As short as they are they have a quite heft in the hand. Probably too slippery for this yarn, I'm happy to ignore that to use both of my new goodies. Lovin' both the yarn and the needles. As I like to say "buy quality and cry only once"

This is Kathleen Taylor. I've been reading her blog for a long time. Her "The Big Book of Socks" just came out and I highly recommend that you get a copy. You can see that she has a sense of humor. She appears to have knitting needles through her head! This shot was taken at SS... I semi-stalked her. (semi= no restraining order)

As we were leaving Oregon I stopped in Ashland to visit my pal Karen's favorite Oregon yarn shop; Websters. It's very pretty. I didn't buy much considering all that I had already purchased.

Even though I HAD to buy more yarn than I had intended, due to the theft of my stuff...it's not without trepidation that I post a picture of what I bought at SS. Here goes....behold the stash enhancement!

We have a winner!!!!!

2009-08-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

I used both low and high tech methods for choosing the winner of the contest. I wrote down the names of all of the commenters in the order that they were made.

Then, I used a random number generator to pick the lucky person.

#19 is iamtheinfidel. I will contact her and mail the lovely Lorna's Laces yarn.

Thank you all for leaving comments! It made my trip way more fun knowing that there were folks following my trip to Sock Summit.

I will say that next time (if I get a chance to go again) I would love to have friends actually there to share in the fun and awe.

I still am catching up on my sleep. Not to mention all the paperwork I have to do to turn in to the insurance company to replace my stuff.

I have some pictures that didn't get posted while I was in Portland. Stop by later, I'll be posting them.

Last Day of SS09

2009-08-09T21:36:00.003-07:00

It was a lovely day.

I had a class with Crissy Gardiner. She taught us how to do a textured colorwork. It is in the Bohus style. (pronounced: Bo-hoos) It's really like Fair Isle knitting except that there are purls along with the knits to add a color and textured effect that is really cool.

Here is my little sample

We left the class a little early and went to the Marketplace. I bought more stuff. I picked up a copy of Free Range Knitter (ya, that's right... the one I brought from home was stolen) I snuck over to Stephanie at lunch time and showed her my pen and the book. she stealthy signed it so as not to attract a gaggle of women asking for the same. She is the nicest person anyone would ever want to adore like a teenybopper.

Click this picture to make it big. This is the Luminary panel. I can't explain sufficiently how awesome this event was. We laughed and nearly cried and hung on every word. Every dime I spent on this event was worth just this one moment with these incredible women. I got a front row seat to witness the brilliance.

Today is 99 years since the birth of Elizabeth Zimmerman. At the very end we all sang Happy Birthday to her and had cake.

A perfect ending to a fabulous 4 days of knitterly fun.

oh ya......one more thing.....

I scored this!!!!!!!

We came out of the elevator in the hotel and this was just sitting there. Sweet!

Getting up early tomorrow to drive half way Home.

A quick exhausted post

2009-08-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

It was a long but terrific day. This is Lorilee Beltman. She taught the morning class, Seismic Socks. She showed us how to do a vertical stranded design. It wasn't as hard as it might seem. she is a good teacher and I suspect she'll write a book about this technique.

I was a few minutes late to both of my classes due to breakneck shopping. Lunch was a yummy taco bar.

Sivia Harding is a modest, sweet lady and a great teacher. We learned to do a beaded baby bootie. I got snagged a couple of times and didn't get far on mine. I will finish the pair later, I really love the pattern. There was a gal in class that is a super speedy knitter, she finished a bootie in class.

I had dinner with the Hubby and arrived after all the swag bags had been passed out at the Ravelry party. I chatted with several ladies that I had classes with. There were door prizes ... I didn't win anything.

as you can see there was a big crowd.
MUST... GET... SLEEP!

Friday Fun Day

2009-08-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

After a quick walk around the Marketplace before my morning class, I decided that I needed a strategy for the afternoon. I figured I could wait until the very end of the Book Signing time slot to get my books signed. The thinking there was that the lines would be short at the end which would give me lots of time to browse the marketplace. That plan worked like a charm.

The class was satisfactory. I didn't really learn anything new. The teacher was nice, she had a good Power Point lecture on fixing common mistakes and how to determine if you were a "fixer" or a "fudger". Turns out I am in the middle of that continuum. (that word doesn't look like it's spelled correctly, but spellcheck says, yes. )
We all left a little early for the Guinness Book of Records event.

Heather (who was in my class) and I got great seats right behind the teachers. At first Amy Singer (of Knitty.com fame) was the only one in the teacher seats. When I asked her if I could have a picture with her... she insisted that I SIT ON HER LAP!!!!!

Stephanie got up on the podium and was her typical hilarious self. There were Guinness people to make sure that it was legit. There were big time camera men types. There were lots of ladies standing in the front of our huge crowd taking pictures.

that's Amy Singer in the lower left hand corner)

We all knitted for 15 minutes and I think we can be pretty sure that we broke the record. Wow, while I was googling to find out what the old record was I found THIS . You can hear and see the Harlot for yourself and if you look closely you'll see me.

See that yarn in my hand? That is the yarn that I picked for the BLOG PRIZE. It's Lorna's Laces dyed just for Sock Summit. The lady who dyed it signed the label and is posing with me for this pic. Don't ask me her name I'm sure she told me, though.
edited to add: She is Beth Casey the owner of Lorna's Laces. Duh!

I got in some good shopping. Briar Rose laceweight and an Ann Hanson pattern. Also a little Silk and Cashmere for a cowl from Red Fish. I bought a lot of little notions to replenish the long list of stuff that got stolen.

I had lunch with some ladys that I know from Ravelry. That's Monica on the Left next to Marie. It was like meeting old friends for the first time.

As I had guessed, half and hour before the Book Signing was over I had time to walk to my hotel room, get my books and walk right up to the tables and get autographs.

First Was Anna Zilboorg, she wrote "Knitting For Anarchists".

I had Barbara Walker's "Book One" to be signed, I didn't ask her for a picture since I had already asked last night.

Then the beautiful, gracious and funny Meg Swanson. I asked her if she felt like a Rock Star. She said she did!

Then I just came out and asked for a picture with the Harlot.

I hope to get a little more sleep tonight. Two classes, and the Ravelry Meet-up tomorrow.

I am not a morning person

2009-08-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

Let's see...I went to bed at 1:30am....woke up at 5:30 and I don't know how much sleep I got after that....then got a wake-up call at 7:00am. I wanted to be certain to get a ticket to the World Record Attempt.
I am taking "Getting Out Of a Mess" class at 9:00.
Gonna do a 30 min. walk-about in the marketplace before class. Yesterday I just kinda got saturated and my brain wouldn't let me buy more stuff, I was overwhelmed and exhausted. So, I hope this coffee kicks in and gives me some Super Shopping Powers!

The book signing is in the afternoon.

Opening Day at the Summit

2009-08-06T23:38:00.000-07:00

My day started out at Starbucks for coffee and a scone. Then, I arrived early at the convention center to do a little people watching. This is Meg Swanson she is fast on her feet and had a melodious "Good Morning!" for Stephanie.

Jess and Mary Heather look adorable and that's "small Bob" on my finger. (you can click the photos to make 'em bigger.) They gave me a new Ravelry button.

My first class was with Charlene Schurch.

OK- the name is Swiss-German and the "S" is not pronounced. She mentioned that first thing...evidently everyone asks her about her name.

I learned a lot about making socks last longer. Established that I probably should use a size 1 and go to a zero just on the areas that I tend to wear out. she showed us several styles of socks that are best depending on where you get wear on your socks.

During the lunch break I took photos of some of the lovely socks!

Next was 4 ways to do a toe up sock. we were supposed to be really comfortable doing Judy's Magic Cast-on. Some of the students needed a little review, she is showing the cast-on in this pic.

Of all the stuff I learned in this class my favorite is the idea that her cast-on can be used as a provisional cast on. BRILLIANT!!!

the Opening ceremony was a touching recount by Tina and Stephanie of how this whole extravaganza came about. Written with the Harlot's usual brilliant humor, it was quite hilarious and at the end touching. They thanked each teacher by name and when they got to Barbara Walker there was a standing ovation.

Oh ya ...Barbara Walker....she's the person I am standing next to in this photo.

I shook her hand and then stammered like a goober. It was great!

After that I chatted with a few people and watched the shmoozing. Then walked to the hotel where there were knitters in the lobby. One lady there was massively full of herself..... I think she invented spinning... she has wheels custom made for her by God himself.

oh ya, I forgot to mention that I did a little shopping:

see anything you like?

Nighty Night!

2009-08-05T23:06:00.000-07:00

I am on my way to bed and I have a couple more pictures to share.

This is the line for registration. That went smoothly.

this is where we went to pick up the swag.

There was an informal meet-up and swap at the bar in the Red Lion. I had nothing to swap and felt a little out of place. But then this woman swung by and warmed things up a bit.

That's RachelH on the right.
I don't know what the details are
about the sock cookies
that they are holding up.

Tomorrow is a big day; two classes
Durability Issues and 4 ways to do a toe-up sock.
plus the Marketplace opens at 4:30 and then the Opening Night Reception.

At this moment I am too tired to be excited. zzzZZZzzzZZZZzzzzzzZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Ensconced at the Red Lion

2009-08-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

We left Veneta and went through Eugene this morning. One stop at Soft Horizons in Eugene and I now have the yarn and needles for my classes. I feel ready to go...sorta. The ladies at the shop were so sympathetic towards my sad situation. They really helped me get all my stuff together and at the end of my purchase they threw in some of it for free. If you are ever in Eugene you have to go to this beautiful and superbly stocked shop!!!!

I am sitting in my room at the Red Lion Inn. I rode in the elevator with Lucy Neetby- she told me that my shirt (that Debbie K. made) was spectacular!!!! The lobby was full of the who's who of knitters. I Kenneared Cookie A. (that's right Cally!!) and half of my fantasy came true. Barbara Walker was in the lobby surrounded by people, no chance to approach her for a picture much less a book signing. But she is staying here!!!!

Look at that lady next to Cookie....see all that beer and wine? Looks like the beginnings of a great party! I am going to go to the convention center and register. I thank God that I still have my paperwork for all my classes!

edited to add: Look! I did get a picture of Barbara Walker after all.

Moving on

2009-08-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

The car window is fixed. A stop to Costco provided a new GPS and a few changes of clothing for me. I think I would have been way more upset about this if I hadn't experienced the loss of my friend, Robin, last week. It's just stuff...this kerfaffle is going to make my trip less fabulous but I'm not going to let it ruin my vacation.

I have no knitting needles, yarn or notions and I am headed toward a large concentration of people wanting to sell me all of those things! Woohoo!

Tonight we will be in Veneta (outside of Eugene) to see old friends. When I say old I mean that we have known Steven and Michele since I was a teenager. Steven crashed my first date with the Hubby. They live on a beautiful little place called Minnie Mae Acres. I think they only have dial-up internet so you probably won't hear from me until I am in PORTLAND!!!!!

Highway robbery!!!

2009-08-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

Details to follow. Our car was broken into in the wee hours of this morning. ALL OF MY KNITTING STUFF IS GONE! ....oh ya and all of my clothes and other stuff. I'm posting from a borrowed computer.

2009-08-02T23:31:00.000-07:00

We left Tulare this morning. I met this lady while taking Minnie for a walk. She is a bit crazy and was dumpster diving... I brought her a pastry and drink from the hotel.

she consented to pose for a picture with me.

There was knitting. Those beads glow in the dark.

We arrived in S.F. this afternoon and I have consumed spirited beverages.

Leaving for Eugene-ish tomorrow.

that is all.

Yo Quiero Taco Bell

2009-08-01T23:36:00.000-07:00

Look! we sneaked an entire DOG into the Taco Bell. It was 9:00 pm and still 90 degrees outside. We couldn't leave her in the car now could we?

You know, I tried to use the word "snuck" and found out it's not really a proper word. Word-Dectective.com says it is sub-standard English. You can read more about it here.

On the way to the Vay-Kay

2009-08-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

I really really really need this vacation. I had two days off this week to get ready to leave. My priorities changed on Tuesday when I got a call that a friend was dying. I spent that time with her to offer some help and to say goodbye. She did something for me when I met her that I thought I would never be able to repay... I'll just say that karma came full circle.

That is my stuff waiting to go in the Pathfinder. Minnie totally knows that she is going too.
I'm not sure what I'm forgetting to pack. I'll let you know when I discover it. See that Barbara Walker book? I've fantasized that she is going to be staying in the room next to mine and I'll bump into her in the hallway. "Hey Barb...how about signing my book and a picture or two???" Hey, it could happen!!!!

I better turn the lappy off and get it ready for the trip. First stop is Tulare (it's half way to S.F.)

oh, I almost forgot...the contest. Leave a comment while I am gone. 8/1 - 8/11 (to be fair keep it to one comment per post please)

I will number each and every comment. I am going to bring back an extra skein of yummy sock yarn and choose (via random number generator) one person to win the SWAG!!!!!

Sensational Knitted Swatch

2009-07-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

This is the knitting that I am doing this week. SS09 class homework.

In January, we who work at yarn shops go to the TNNA trade show. I take classes from famous knitters who write books. So it's not like I am new to meeting famous knitters. But, I don't think I'll ever be so jaded as not to be excited to meet them and to learn all the fabulous stuff that they can impart.

Here is my swatch for the class I will take with Charlene Schurch. I expect to find out how to pronounce her last name and hopefully she will sign my book during the class.

I am thinking about having a contest. I'll buy a skein of sock yarn at ss09 and send it to a randomly chosen person who leaves a comment. Is there anyone out there? Do you like that idea?

Any crazy can use the internet

2009-07-26T00:12:00.000-07:00

A while back I had a bad comment on my blog......uh.....it was NOTHING.

compared to THIS

crazy + the internet = frightening

I am gonna be stylin'

2009-07-24T22:27:00.000-07:00

I had this awesome knitting themed fabric and Debbie K. did a perfect job of sewing this top for me. It looks great on and is super comfy. [thanks Deb!!]

I am going to wear it on the first day of Sock Summit.

I would say that I am a big dork for getting so excited about this event. But I think I am going to be in good company of a bazillion knitterly, geeky dorks in Portland.

I don't feel like I am half way ready.

We are bringing our dog and thought we had someone to watch her for a couple of days in Portland...that fell through today. I have to solve that problem. I have a little homework to do for my classes. ugh...so much more to do! I need to start with a few lists.

But, I am certain that I am going to look cute when I wear my new top!

The Knitter's Retreat

2009-07-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

What is a knitter's idea of a great weekend? All we have to do is KNIT! The meal this evening was delicious. We have been sipping wine and laughing like crazy. It's 10:00 pm and we didn't have to cook, clean or take care of anyone.
BRILLIANT!

here is a link to learn more about the retreats : click

for realz

2009-07-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, this makes it seem so real now. I am getting excited!
I need this banner.

Hey Cally...you asked for a countdown? look over there.... :-P

A wee sock & me again

2009-07-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

I made a delicious pair of socks with Alpaca Yarn Co. Paca Peds HT. The HT stands for heel and toe. They put a little hank of solid colored yarn for making heels and toes .. aren't they cute?

I also made a wee tiny sock.
It's for Sock Summit. Folks are gonna pin tiny socks to themselves ... when they are wandering around Portland we can spot a fellow Summiteer (they picked that name I didn't) It's kinda like bird watching only geekier.
I like the teensie sock and I think I'll make one after each pair of normal sized socks.

So- I guess I'm back to blogging. I took a break, and in that time I learned a couple of things.

We really don't leave grade school

I work at a place where anyone can walk in and judge me

Blogging is even more public, as long and the sweet outweighs the nasties I guess I'll hang in there.

thanks to those of you who asked me back. :-)

Peace out

2009-04-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

Someone left a nasty, personal comment for me. I wanted to delete this blog. Instead I think I'll just park it for a while. Thanks to those of you who have been kind.

Peace

Returning to the UFOs

2009-04-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

So, I am back to my previously scheduled knitting. The Cosima (with Malabrigo) has a back and a left front. Pictured here is the right front.

I can't say enough about how nice Malabrigo is to knit. It's like lunch with a good friend. Pleasant, familiar and just seems to go so quickly!

I have made reservations for lodging for the SOCK SUMMIT!!!! Very excited about it and a little nervous that all the classes will fill up before I have a chance to sign up. That will happen some time in May. In the mean time I just look at the spectacular list of teachers and classes and marvel. Click the logo up there on the right and visit the web site for the low-down.

I was cleaning my house yesterday and came across a basket with this UFO which was abandoned right before Christmas (I think). It's Mountain Colors, Merino Ribbon I'm going to make a t-shirt type top out of it. It's 3/4 of the way done. I think I'm going to finish it right after I complete Cosima.

Octomom times two!

2009-03-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

Had you going there, didn't I???

In Feb of 1993 our dog Truffle had 16 puppies!!! That's twice as many as the Octomom and here is the picture as proof. You can click on this picture to make it bigger and try to count the little wigglers. It was a lot of work and no one gave us free stuff. The press was interested, though. The Californian did a front page article on the happy event with a nice photo. (which I am too lazy to go get, scan and post...sorry)

I think Truffle looked WAY better in her pregnancy photo than that other Octomom.
We found good homes for all of Truffle's babies. One of them stayed with us ...Cocoa. Our brother Greg had one and the rest went far and wide to loving families.

Both Truffle and Cocoa are chasing cats in heaven now.

Oh....in case you were wondering...Truffle got preggers the old fashioned way. She went on a "honeymoon" with a Chocolate Lab named Bachelor. That is what we said to our kids, who were 7 & 10 then.

Just a little dog-gone shenanigans.

Stocking down, hat to go

2009-03-19T11:27:00.001-07:00

The Christmas stocking is finished except for the little loop to hang it with. I think I am going to leave the name off of it.
Hmmmm As I am looking at this photo, I see that I also need to add the duplicate stitch red berries on the wreaths and the red nose on one reindeer.
I will be scheduling a class to make stockings soon.

The coolest thing I have to pass on to you is that I found a new way to do the grafting on the toe (and heel) of this project. The Techknitting blog is a massive resource and she came up with a great way to graft. Give it a try on your next sock. I really liked it. I emailed this brilliant lady and she gave me (limited) permission to reproduce her pics etc for a handout. No more Kitchner, gotta love that!

I love Fair Isle (or stranded knitting for those that like to split hairs). I find it less fussy than intarsia and looks harder than it really is.

Speaking of harder. I am now working on a hat with ladybugs in Dale of Norway, Baby Ull. It is fingering weight and the needles are size ZERO. My wrists are feeling a bit sore so the hat is going slower than I would like. It should be adorable though.

Multi tasking

2009-03-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

I needed to interrupt the work on the Malabrigo cardigan.

I told Karen I'd let her finish what she's working on so she can knit the same cardi with me. Plus, I need to make this Christmas stocking for the shop. We want to encourage customers to start making Holiday gifties early.
After this stocking I have to quickly make a cute little ladybug hat with Baby Ull. (also for the shop) I'll post pictures of that when I get it going.

I wish I had another pair of hands to knit MORE!!!!

All this and I found out (in a very painful way) that I have Pantar Fasciitis. It's very ouchie! I am icing my heel and doing stretching exercises along with new inserts for my shoes... the Dr said I have all the wrong shoes and need new (ugly) ones. wah!

I feel Special!

2009-03-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

I made a comment on The Yarn Harlot's blog yesterday. Basically asking if anyone was still reading the comments (mine must have been the kabillionth one) and this morning I got an email from Stephanie herself saying that she reads all of the comments.

Just had to share....that is all.

Knitting Strategy

2009-03-02T10:51:00.000-08:00

I would say that a little preparation before a project can help with your knitting success.

Make copies of your pattern. You can make notes on the copy and drag it around while your original stays pretty and nice in the event that you want to use it again. Next- check out the chart on the original pattern. I enlarged it, you can see that the bigger one is way easier to follow.

The first two repeats of the chart start at a different row than the second two repeats. I have different colored stitch markers to designate when I do each repeat of the chart- white for the first two repeats and blue for the other two.
To make following the chart easier I am using two copies of the enlarged chart. Post-its show me what row I am on. I marked them with the stitch marker colors, this makes it so much easier to keep it all straight.

A good strategy for following a pattern has helped me tremendously!

The Ultimate Swatch: step two

2009-02-26T11:01:00.000-08:00

If I had just gone by my bust measurements I would be ending up knitting a larger size garment. Here, you see a pink cardi that I think is similar to the one I am going to make. It is 19" across the back. So I did the following math.

My swatch was 20 stitches and 4.75 inches wide. I divided 20 by 4.75 and got my stitches per inch (4.21). I then looked at the pattern and found the number of stitches across the back of the size I think will work for my garment and divided that number by 4.21...that will give me the number of inches the back of my garment should be.

BUT, the ultimate swatch is the first few inches of the actual garment. If I were to discover that my project isn't giving me the size I want - ripping out the back and starting over when it is only 4 or 5 inches is not a disaster.

Here, Sterling is trying to help hold down the tape measure for me.

BTW: did you know that you can click on the pictures to see them bigger?

I just read a recent post by the uber knitter- The Yarn Harlot...read her post about swatches. She writes about it beautifully, with humor and adds much more wisdom.

The swatch: step one

2009-02-24T20:37:00.000-08:00

Here is my swatch. I dunked it in water and walked away. Once fully soaked in water, I rolled it in a towel to absorb as much as possible. Now I am patiently waiting for it to dry. Then I will measure it for my stitches per inch. (SPI)
Then I have to figure out which size in the pattern to use to get the size I want.
Since my pattern calls for a heavier yarn, I have to do some mathematics.

I'll guess that one size larger than I usually wear might work since I am using lighter yarn and smaller needles.

I'll take the number of stitches cast-on for the pattern back and divide it by my number of SPI. that should tell me how wide the back will be with my yarn.

Knitting is a process

2009-02-23T20:17:00.000-08:00

I don't have a pretty picture for this post.

I am swatching for a new project. It's malabrigo worsted weight in a cobalt blue. I am trying to figure out how I can fit it into a pattern that calls for a heavier yarn. I am also going to take my own advise and will wash and block my swatch!
There will be picures soon.

Matching Hat

2009-02-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

Added the buttons and a cute little hat to make the Baby Surprise complete.

Another Baby Surprise

2009-02-15T12:14:00.001-08:00

I have been busy knitting this Baby Surprise Jacket. I love how it turned out. I used Cascade Superwash Paints [2 skeins: color#9862] and a solid Cascade 220 Superwash [1 skein: color #851]. This time I added an i-cord bind off, a collar to match the trim, also with i-cord. I picked up stitches on the edges of the sleeves to add more green trim...with i-cord. I have yarn left over that I am going to use to make a matching hat. oh- I guess I need to get some buttons for it too!
I am teaching a class on this jacket this month and I hope ladies will see this and wanna make one too!

Valentine Happy

2009-02-14T22:12:00.000-08:00

I'm eating a heart shaped chocolate chip cookie that my one true love baked me. I could dig out and scan the snap shot that goes with this story, but, I think I'll just get straight to the words.

February 13, 1986 while I was watching "Cheers" a tiny pop occurred. It was the pool of water my son had been swimming in for the last 8 and three quarter months deciding to burst forth. I knew then that I would be having my baby on Valentines Day... you can't go more than 24 hours with your "water broke".

It was raining Cats and Dogs all night long. So much so that my Mom thought that she might not be able to drive to the hospital to visit, the streets were flooded.

20 long hours later I pushed out Evan and completed our family.

The rain we have had this week has brought back memories of that night and the following days.

Valentines Day has never been quite the same since.

I've been knitting a new BSJ. pictures soon.

a couch kid thank-you knitting story

2009-02-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

One of my long term (we don't like to say "old") knitting students is Dyan. She is a teacher in a community school. It's the kind of school that kids go to when they have committed a crime or otherwise gotten themselves kicked out of regular school. When they come to Dyan she confronts them (and their parents) with their transgressions and usually makes them cry. The other thing she makes them do is knit. All of them have to knit, even the boys who seem to like knitting better than the girls.

The classroom has a lounge area with a couple of couches. You can imagine that those couches get a lot of abuse.

I replaced my living room couch recently and donated it to Dyan's class. The reverse side of the drawing had a "thank-you" from each of Dyan's kids and as you can see one of them has mad drawing skillz too!

oh BTW, that floral couch you see in the drawing was replaced with two leather chairs...much different.

Closed mid way

2009-01-31T21:16:00.000-08:00

Here is the intarsia sign in mid knit.

See all the little yarn balls? There is a little spaghetti tangle in between the balls and the knitting. I ignore it and press on with the chart.

I charted this project by first doing a gauge swatch (5 sts per inch) then I printed up graph paper in my gauge using this web page. I made the text on Microsoft Publisher, laid it under the graph paper on my light box and traced out the chart. You can see where I made some adjustments with a red pen.

My hubster loves to find stuff leaning against a dumpster and carts it home. I usually think he's bonkers for doing it. But when he brought home the big light box I did the happy dance...it made the job easy.

Intarsia LOVE

2009-01-29T12:06:00.001-08:00

I mentioned in my last post that I took a class called "learning to love intarsia". I don't know if I LOVE it. But, I wanted to try it out right away. This is half of a sign that I am making for the shop. I want it to be a surprise for Debbie. (shhh don't tell)

You can guess that the other side will say "closed".
If you can ignore the tangled mess of yarn that is unavoidable. You might love intarsia too!
Now I will chart the other side and cast on soon.

Trade Show N Tell

2009-01-22T18:28:00.000-08:00

This will be a long post with lots of pictures.

Debbie, Karen and I went to the TNNA (The National Needlearts Assoc.) trade show in San Diego. We stayed for four days.

We stayed in a Sheraton high rise hotel. The first 11 floors were the parking lot. This picture looks un-scary. But, that corridor seemed quite snug and it was ELEVEN... curvy ...swooping...tightly turned...floors to the place where we had to park. Karen was our driving hero.

We ate many of our meals in a cute retro-rock-n-roll restaurant called Mary-Jane's. The wait staff was young and tattoo cute. The food was terrific. In this pic you can see that Debbie and I had a TV dinner. It was a little salad, spaghetti and brownie in an aluminum foil tray. Kitchy but delicious.

We took classes from Knitting Rock Stars.
This is Cat Bordhi in a class covering the book "New Pathways For Sock Knitters" I think no one would dissagree that this woman is a genius. She is also generous and funny and a great teacher. Cat gave me a few tips on teaching the Mobius cast-on too!. She said we should all try knitting standing up occasionally for our health. You might want to try it! We got gifts of yarn and a pair of Addi Turbos in this class.

This is Stefanie Japel. (the last name rhymes with apple) Her class was all about knitting a fitted sweater from the top down. It's her specialty. She is young and pretty and very nice. I enjoyed this class except for the fact that the two people sitting next to me chatted the entire time.

This was my second class with Sally Melville. She gave out fabulous notes so I could refer to them later. The class was called "Learn to Love Intarsia" I did learn a lot and I think I will make an intarsia sweater for the shop and teach others to love it too! She pulled out sweaters that are pictured in her book, the one that is on the cover of her "Color" book is spectacularly beautiful.

On Saturday we began walking the miles of booths in the convention center. Every booth (they don't allow photography) full of beautiful yarn! There was lots of fondling and ooohhs and aaahhhs. Some of the folks there had non-yarn items. Bags, Buttons and Baubles. Oh ya...I'd say 1/3 of the vendors were needlepoint purveyors.

I did sneek one picture inside the convention center. This is (right to left) Mary-Heather, Jess and Casey of Ravelry fame. I was less of a ninny than last year in which I gushed shamelessly. They are shy and sweet and it was cool to see them.

I was wearing a Ravelry t-shirt that Jess noticed.

Here she is posing with Karen and I.

It was an exhausting four days. We ate well. Learn a lot. Saw kaboodles of YARN. After getting up at 5:30am every day and walking miles, we got a bottle of wine and took a soak in the hotel hot tub

It took half a dozen attempts to get this cute shot of us pool side.

That ends the tale of my time at Yarn-a-palooza!

It's like Butta!

2009-01-11T12:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, my hair looks a little kooky.

This is a great cowl made from one skein of the buttery soft Malabrigo worsted weight. The pattern is quick, easy and pretty. It is called Tamarind Cowl and you can find it here. I used the magic loop method to knit it with my rosewood circular needles that Debbie gave me for Christmas. Started it last night and finished this morning.

I love the Malabrigo, I get itchy pretty easily and this yarn is on my neck and not a teensiest bit of the itch. It's warm, yummy soft and covers the turkey neck too! What's not to like? Go get yourself some!

New Year Shenanigans

2009-01-04T17:55:00.001-08:00

Happy 2009!

I will start with the knitting content. As we put away the Christmas decorations I am taking breaks to add a little to the Clapotis. It has been a pretty easy project and I can't wait to be finished with it. I love the Ice Queen cowl/smoke ring that I finished and will take a picture of it with someone wearing it and will post that later.

Now on to the fun we had in S.F.

Our friend Cody really knows how to throw a party. When he has one at New Years we always try to be there. I think the first one that we went to was over a decade ago. This year was a blast.

Cody (wearing the entrelac beanie) rents this warehouse space in South San Francisco and has, over the years, turned it into a fabulous home. He calls it The Cabana. The bedroom is behind that window and there is a TV/lounge room just past those black curtains.

He works in catering so feeding a small crowd is no big deal. The food was fabulous!

Cody and his friends are a creative artistic bunch. Most of them go to Burning Man and have a zest for life like no other group of people that I have ever met.

So, this guy pulled up with the Photo Boof. It's just like the photo booths that we had when we were kids. You go in and push a button and it takes four pictures of you.

The guy that designed the Photo Boof has it rigged to a computer and a projector. It shot a "screensaver" like progression of the pictures it took onto this white truck/van. (that's my silhouette)

Also in front of Cody's place was the "Yat Tub" (think yacht) Another free thinker....he turned this little boat into a jacuzzi! Uh, no I didn't go in. But I did check the water temp, it was nice and hot!

The party went on through the night and into the morning. I took pictures, but, photos of people dancing just don't look as bloggable as you might think. Justin the DJ played the best music. there were balloons and champagne at midnight and a parade of the most interesting attire.

I like going to S.F. it reminds me that there is is more beyond my tract home.
I would say that there is only one down side to this little visit. The Cabana is hard to heat and is down right COLD.

Kip took this picture of me all bundled up in front of my laptop. I was googling a question that came up. What is the different between Cannelloni and Manicotti? If you are wondering too, just click on the link and find out.

We are home now and all caught up on our lost sleep.

I am filled with the usual New Year desire to clean out drawers and organize my life. I call it New Year Nesting.
2008 has been a crazy year...good and bad to the extreme.
I hope that Peace will break out all over the place and prosperity will blossom and cozy up to us all.

Christmas afterglow

2008-12-29T16:23:00.000-08:00

Ugh, I am trying not to be SICK! I'm also getting ready to celebrate New Years in San Francisco. I hope there will be some good blogable moments. I should be stopping at a yarn shop or two.

Here is the adorable Snickers. The sweater was too small. She did wear it well. She is such a nutty character. She loves to run up your body and try to cuddle your head. I gave her a boost and found out that she has great balance- as you can see in the next photo.

I look startled in this picture, but I was more amazed that she could balance on my HEAD!

On the 26th I started a Clapotis for the long car ride. Plus, I casted on for Ice Queen and it went much quicker than I expected. I finished it today

This is Art Yarns Beaded Mohair & Sequins. Ultra super beautiful! A joy to knit, touch and wear. The pattern is fun and easy.

ok...back to the packing and Zicam

Clapotis

2008-12-23T20:09:00.000-08:00

So, I guess I can't take a decent picture of my Christmas tree. Instead I will show you that, while I am wrapping presents I am also making a Clapotis. It seems to be going pretty quickly and is good for mostly-mindless knitting.

I will be posting pictures of The Yorkie in her sweater, we will open presents tomorrow night. I thought I'd share my photoshop skills with you in the mean time.

I turned this photo

Into THIS photo.

I think Evan and Rachel look so much nicer in front of the posh Christmas living room. don't you?

Back to the last minute preparations and the Clapotis knitting. Oh...if ya don't know.....it's pronounced Clap-o-tee. It's Frenchy.

dogs need sweaters...right?

2008-12-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

This little sweater didn't take as long as I thought it would.

I didn't have a pattern. But, I did make a gauge swatch.

I used Encore DK that I bought on my yarn crawl.

I hope it fits little Snickers.

...off to make sweet treats!

Some Bunny

2008-12-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

We had an evening of spinning at the yarn shop. I'd say that this bunny rabbit & friends were the stars of the evening! She sat patiently while yarn was spun from her wool. I found out that their fiber is called wool...I also found out that I get all itchy eyed in the company of these big bunnies.

Just thought I'd throw out some non Christmas content. I have no time to do all the stuff that I have to make time for.

I'm certain you, my dear reader, are busy polishing the mantle and making grandma's fudge recipe and won't miss any new posts from me. Although I am starting a doggy sweater and if it looks good enough to put on a dog I'll let ya see it.

Surprise Baby!

2008-12-04T20:58:00.000-08:00

This looks like a whole lotta nuthin'. The Baby Surprise Jacket. I had been meaning to make this little gem for a long time. I just finished it and I must say that I think everybody should make one at least once. Actually, I think once you've made one you will make others! the miracle of it is that Elizabeth Zimmerman figured out how to make it in the first place!

behold with a little folding .....

we get a quite lovely little baby jacket. It's for the shop. I am planning on leaving this one unseamed and I'll make another one and stitch it up for comparison.

Cally and Judy...I posted... so leave a comment why don't ya!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T12:48:00.000-08:00

A few years ago my favorite Thanksgiving tablecloth and napkins shared the dryer with a black pen. I was so upset and mad ...there was black ink all over it. Then, I was frustrated when I couldn't find a suitable replacement. I used other tablecloths, but never really liked them as much as the ruined one.

This year, I am dressing the table with my best china and silverware that was my Mother's. The meal will be as sumptuous as always...

.. I'm using my favorite tablecloth with the ink stains.

To me it's just a little reminder that it's the people we sit with at the table that are important.

BSJ update

2008-11-25T21:38:00.000-08:00

I think I am over half way through this little parabolic baby sweater. With the help of a spreadsheet I can check to see that my stitch count is where it's supposed to be.

It's a kooky pattern. That Elizabeth Zimmerman was a genius, I can't imagine how she came up with it. If you think you'd like to make one, click on the link to see and print the spreadsheet, it's very helpful.

He's Harley Knitting

2008-11-25T08:45:00.000-08:00

There is no ordinary boring day at the yarn shop. This fellow was waiting out in front of the shop while his girlfriend was shopping inside. Somehow he came to our attention and I thought I'd take his picture. Someone else grabbed her knitting to put in his hands and this is the result! Matt is his name and I think he was awfully cooperative.

Baby Surprise Jacket

2008-11-23T21:12:00.000-08:00

I cleaned all day today to get ready for Thankgiving. I hate housework. To reward myself I am enjoying me a little knit'n.

A student has asked for help with Elizabeth Zimmerman's baby surprise jacket. I have not made it before- So, I checked out the BSJ group on Ravelry and threw a little Marble on the needles. If you notice I have the yarn in my left hand. Normally I Throw, but, as an homage to EZ I am knitting Continental.

the other half of the skein

2008-11-16T13:52:00.000-08:00

The cowl in my last post was made for the shop. It was pretty much half of the skein (145 total yards) I had to make something out of the other half and I wondered if I could get a hat out of it. As you can see there was yarn left over and the hat is plenty roomy. I used size 10.75 needles. I know that's an odd size, I bought it a long time ago thinking it might come in handy some day and this was the day! Two great gift ideas out of one skein of yarn.

Mountain Colors!

2008-11-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a little neck warmer. You can make two of these with one skein of Mountain Colors, New 3 Ply Wool. I used a 10.5 needle and cast on 72 stitches. The colors are so lovely, this photo doesn't do it justice. It's a great quickie project.

A change in History!

2008-11-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave!

2008-11-03T16:12:00.000-08:00

Today we can exercise our privilege as Americans,
to cast our vote for people and issues of great importance.
I love being an American and never more than on
election day.
Many have sacrificed so we can check a box
and be counted.
I hope you are reading this wearing an
"I voted" sticker.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

Boo!

Little doggies like to bark on Halloween Night

Young Snickers gave the kiddies a fright
Minnie took it in stride
We made the Yorkie go hide

had a Dog-Gone good trick-or-treat plight!

My October Yarn Crawl

2008-10-26T19:03:00.001-07:00

Karen J. and I went on an yarn crawl. To celebrate my birthday. ...it was a knitter's day of fun. We tried to go to the Yarn Lady first, but they don't open until Noon. So, we went to this lovely cottage in Laguna. Strands and Stitches is a small but well stocked yarn and needlepoint shop. Cozy and friendly it's a nice shop for tourists. They didn't have a large inventory and there was no ordinary (cascade 220 like) yarn. For esthetics and cool yarn they get a 10. I got some Indie hand dyed sock yarn. Capistrano Fiber Arts Studio, hand dyed by Lori Lawson.

For lunch we went to a casual but quite posh restaurant right on the beach. Karen told me a juicy story that took place in this same little eatery when she was a young probation officer. Sounds interesting doesn't it? My lips are sealed!

Then off to The Yarn Lady. It's a big shop with lots of novelty yarn and lots of other good stuff. The ladies that work there are friendly. I bought a little DK weight Encore to make a sweater for a certain Yorkie that I know. And a mega fatty hank of super bulky yarn for which the ball band is currently MIA. Hopefully I am going to make a cool neckwarmer for a Christmas present and you'll all get to see it.

We stopped at this little place (The Red Bee) in Tustin, it was a little nicer than JoAnn's, but we didn't find any yarn we couldn't live without

Ok, this is one of the many isles in Velona. This large store is in Anaheim Hills, a short hop from the 91 frwy. The entire store is packed to the brim much like this photo...not to mention there is 5k square feet of yarn stored overhead! The stock is a little sad and tired. Some of the yarn is older than I am! But, Karen and I had fun wandering around and we did manage to find some goodies.
I bought a sweater's worth of a discontinued yarn that I love "Sir Galli" and another boat load of Jaeger Trinity. they are both white and 100% silk...read that "future sweater set".
I found a flexible tunisian crochet hook. A customer called our shop looking for one and I said I would try to find it. None of our suppliers had them, I was happy to find it and make our customer very happy.

Karen bought a Rowen book that is exquisite and increased her stash a bit too.

This store is not-to-be-missed on any yarn expedition to Orange County.

We were very tired by dinner time. We ate at a nice restaurant that shared a parking lot with Velona. It was a little high in the $ and calorie department, but oh so good!
I had a blast spending a day doing nothing but eating and shopping! Karen is a real pal... she is a true blue friend!

Look to the right! It's a free pattern!

2008-10-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

ok, I have a real blog now. Over there on the right side bar is a PDF file with a pattern for a really easy lace scarf that is great for a beginner. Yep, that's a picture of it. The lace pattern is in chart form and in plain English. If you have trouble downloading it let me know.

....now if I only had a boat load of readers!

I went on a yarn crawl yesterday and will post the pictures soon!

I'm corny!

2008-10-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

I can be pretty corny and I am knitting with yarn made from CORN! This sock will be a sample for the shop. I must say I really like this yarn. It's Kollage, Cornacopia. It is a little splity (is that spelled right?) but I didn't find that a deal breaker. The on the positive side, this yarn is soooo soft! Thumbs up!

Race For The Cure

2008-10-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

This was my first time walking in the Race For The Cure. I was taken back by the number of participants. There were Corporate teams with matching t-shirts and kids cheering the walk/runners. A sea of pink everywhere. I was struck with emotion as my good friend and her daughter walked along with me, by the names and photos of the people affected by breast cancer. Like the lady in this photo...in memory of. So many representing those that have been lost along side of those that survive and rejoice.

Party shenanigans

2008-10-18T21:49:00.000-07:00

Um, yes, this is a picture that I took this evening at a party I attended. Most of the people were drinking wine because they either work or hang out at Thornton winery. The parents of a neighbor came to the party after attending a local Octoberfest. Can you guess which ones they are???

I think there is something funny to be said in this post but I'm afraid the shot of tequila is keeping me from finding the funny.

It was a very good birthday week. Everyone checking in with love and a few nice gifties! Some of it was yarn to be revealed later!

55 reasons why it's a great day...

2008-10-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

What's on my needles?

2008-10-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

All the knitting bloggers have a free pattern and I wanna be just like the popular girls. I am making this scarf for an easy lace class for the shop. When I finish writing the pattern I'm gonna have it as a free download here. Just thought I'd give you a peek.

All in a day's work

2008-10-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

Today was a crazy day at the yarn shop. We were busy busy. Lots going on including an automobile collision on the street in front of our window.

What I was struck with on my way home this evening is the humanity that is shared as we sit and knitted this evening...yes..there was a lot of laughing. But, in between the smiles were somber words. Of abandonment, stolen innocence, loss of a child, loss of family. No one is spared.

Sorrow is part of being human. We sit and the needles click click click and compassion is shared along with the stories.

It's more than just selling yarn.

stripey goodness

2008-10-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

Hey! Here is the cardigan I finished last week, I love it!
It was fast and easy, I chose the top down pattern because I wanted those stripes to line up.
This yarn is Noro Taiyo, it's mostly cotton and silk with a little wool and nylon thrown in, very soft and yummy!
I made a few modifications to the pattern;
In the close-up bubble you can see that I changed the rib on the bottom to have an extra knit on both edges. When I later picked up stitches for the button band I didn't loose the rib pattern. I remembered to do that after I did the rib for the neck- so it has a k1 where it should have a k2.
I made the sleeves and the body a bit longer than the pattern called for. Also, the pattern wanted 28 repeats of the raglan increase- after trying it on I ripped back to 22 repeats.

Pattern is in Knit 'N Style magazine (April '08)
Cropped Raglan Cardi

Won't you be my neighbor

2008-10-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

You know that your kid is all grown up when you are taking a picture of them beaming on the threshold of their very own house!
It's a little ridiculous to say that times flies by so quickly and that it seems like yesterday that both of these two were children. But here I am looking on them with pride and reminiscing.
My fair haired daughter now influencing the lives of other people's children in the classroom. And that dashing son-in-law of ours....he was but a schoolboy and now he's her forever boyfriend. They now have a Home-Sweet-Home

it is the American Dream.

Spa Shenanigans

2008-09-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

So, a week or so ago, Karen and I went to the Allo Spa. It was an hour of reflexology. Oh my!! We loved it. They soak your feet in hot water with herbs for about 10-15 minutes while they massage the neck, shoulders, back and arms. Then they go to town on your feet!
As you can see in the photo, the philosophy of reflexology is that your entire body (and it's well being) is represented by places on your feet. Well, I don't know if that is true...but I did enjoy the application of this method. It did hurt at times. Plus, occasionally my "reflexologist", Meena, would stop and say in a charming Chinese accent, hmmm your rotator cuff....no good!

We will definitely be back. It was a bargain at $25 (plus tip) for the hour! I'd rather do this than have a pedicure any day, what do you think?

I finished my Noro cardigan I'll get photos of it up now that I've told you I will.

What makes a good wife?

2008-09-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

My Score is 52

As a 1930s wife, I am

Average

Take the test!

I guess I would make a good 1930's wife. Hmmm that doesn't seem correct. Evidently I am a good old fashioned kinda girl! Why don't you take the test and let me know how you scored.
(click that link above that says "take the test!")

I have been up to some other shenanigans and will be posting photos soon. But first I have to be a good little wifey and don my pearls and high heels and clean the house!

Must I be clever every time?

2008-09-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

Thinking up a clever Post Title is the hardest for me. So many bloggers have such compelling titles. Too much pressure and I am not very eloquent. This post is a hodge podge.

The bracelet is finished and I'm really happy with it. I will make more of them even though it's rough on the wrists to knit the wire.

That gorgeous Passion Flower is in my backyard. It started out as a sad neglected and near dead little twiglet that Lowe's garden shop had reduced to $5. Now it is a robust monster, home to Praying Mantis and a slew of these luscious purple beauties.

I am well into my cardigan. I absolutely LOVE this yarn! Noro, Taiyo. It is so soft and the colors are Noro's usual spectacular spectacular!

Just like Kureyon, I am picking out hay like stuff as I go along.

I am also working on the Fair Isle felted Tote. I'll save a post on it for another day.

Tomorrow Karen J. and I are going for foot reflexology. I am mentioning it here so I will have the nerve to try and take pictures of the event. Will the Chinese reflexologists know what a blog is? They barely speak English.

knitting with wire

2008-09-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

I have been busy this weekend. I made myself do some housework. I started the Fair Isle felted tote and the top down cardi. Before I post photos of those projects. Look at this fun little item. It's 26 gauge wire knitted on #2 needles. With a few beads thrown in. When I'm done it will be a cute little bracelet. It' not exactly fun to knit, though. Kinda hard on the wrists. But, it didn't take very long to get this far.

One for the shop and one for ME!

2008-09-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

Finally, here is some knitting content! On the left is some Reynolds Lopi yarn. I am going to make the Fair Isle felted tote that is pictured in the pattern. This will be a sample for the shop.

On the right is Noro Taiyo. It is delicious. 40% Cotton, 30% silk, 15% wool, 15% nylon. What's not to like about that! I am going to use the Taiyo for the top-down cardigan pictured on the right. It is in the April '08 issue of Knit'N Style magazine.
Last night when I went to bed I could feel the cool promise of Autumn. Get ready kids, it's almost sweater weather!!!!!!!

A Summer wedding and a country garden

2008-09-07T23:11:00.000-07:00

We went to a wedding reception on Saturday. The bride (on the right) met my daughter in the 1st grade and they were best buddies until we moved away when they were in the 5th grade. Now they are married ladies!

I took this picture of the happy couple, the rice looks great flying through the night air.

This reception was in the backyard of my friend Janet's house. She has a great crafty talent for making things look fabulous. Here is a look at her Secret Garden.

She dressed up the side yard of her Orange County home. She is very modest but I can say that her home is as delightful as this happy spot.

Don't you want a fountain like this? I do. So clever!

I have to explain what this is. Janet told her husband that the only thing she needed for her birthday was Time. Well, this is a photo of what he made her, it's a Sun Dial ...right under that flower in the center is the thing that casts the shadow. The markers on the bottom are the numbers for telling time. he researched how to make it accurate and gave her some "time". Very romantic!

I promise that there will be some knitting content soon!

and the Pepper gets the knife!

2008-09-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

The time had come for the odd little pepper to serve it's purpose...to end up on our plate!

nom..nom...nom! It was yummy! Hubby chopped it up and steamed it with other veggies and added some pasta sauce with Parmesan served over fettuccine. It was verrrry delicious!

ok, so I'm new to this blogger way of editing things. I made the pictures nice and big before and now it's not letting me do that. I went to a wedding reception on Saturday and I have some photos of a lovely garden. I hope I get it all worked out by messing around with them for the next post.

Do you like my new header?

2008-09-04T20:04:00.001-07:00

After a little shenanigans with the digi cam. I have designed a new header for this blog and I like it a lot. The ewe is Maddie the award winning longwool belonging to my pal Natalie. Uh...the finger is mine.

I hope you like it. If you do- leave a comment. If not.....aw come on you know you like it!!!!!!

Blog Pressure!

2008-09-04T17:23:00.001-07:00

food for thought
Originally uploaded by peglett

All of a sudden I have a blog and now I don't have anything to say!
This photo is of a painting I have. I bought it because it reminded me of how my head works. See that apple? that is my good ideas. The flaming hair is me freaking out and not being able to access my good ideas. I will have more posts. I just need to get into the groove baybee!

Meanwhile ...I had foot reflexology today, by a Chinese guy that doesn't know a lot of English. It was great and the price was also good....$25 plus tip.

I have no knitting project at the moment because ...I have been doing other non knitting things....like not blogging. Ugh!

Strange Fruit

2008-08-31T21:17:00.001-07:00

ok, I know that a pepper isn't a fruit, but you have to admit that this one sure is strange. A customer at the yarn shop brought it in with other home grown produce and I snagged this one. I thought he would make a great picture for my first blog post.