Grace Knits a LOT!

hat from knitting 24/7

2010-10-02T14:28:00.001-07:00

Loved knitting this hat! And testing blogging from my phone.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.1

blogger app for my droid

2010-08-29T05:32:00.001-07:00

just checking out this new app and seeing how the pics look...

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.5.2

Felt like blogging today

2010-08-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged for some time...but for some reason I felt like it today. I am still knitting up a storm...knit a Dale sweater that I can't wait to wear this winter and a lacy bactus shawl that I use in my heavily AC'd workplace. I have a new nephew (SO CUTE) and went on several vacations. I am also reading a ton, thanks to finally utilizing my public library again! I just finished Mockingjay (last book of the hunger games trilogy by Suzanne Collins) and am reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (totally gripping). I think I will try to blog again more regularly; but who knows? Maybe I will feel like it, maybe not.

Blogging from my phone

2009-02-17T03:48:00.000-08:00

Just testing blogging from the phone. Blogging has been a little thin on the ground...I havebeen busy, but it was mostly choosing to knit rather than blogging. Once I havefigured out how to upload photos, I will post some of my projects.

Proud

2008-11-04T20:18:00.001-08:00

So proud to be an American right now...to be a part of this historic night, what a rush. I love being part of the process. I hope that we can move towards cooperation and healing instead of divisiveness and fear.

Rock the vote.

Hello? Is anyone still reading this?

2008-11-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

Hi! Sorry I have been MIA for so long! Work this summer was especially busy and I took several vacations.

I went to Jackson Hole, WY:

The Watersmeet, Michigan (in the UP):

And I did a little knitting...you can see most of my projects on my flickr photostream or on Ravelry.

My latest thing has been scarves. That I try to knit from the stash. But I bought yarn yesterday at Fiddlehead Yarns to make this scarf:

This is the My So Called Scarf and I knit it up in about 5-6 hours. One skein, baby! You can see my specs on Ravelry. I did add a button hole so I can make this snug for the winter. I may need to buy more of this yarn to make some for gifts! Awesome!

My friend Elizabeth recently posted a knitting "Bucket List" using yarn in her stash...so here it goes for the yarn in my stash (and check out the cute hat she made that I designed!):

Snowflake in Cedarwoods (square) shawl
EPS fair isle yoke cardigan
Hidcote Garden shawl
Jaali Sweater
colorwork mittens of my design--still thinking about this one and since I have so much sock yarn, I have a ton of variety to choose from
knee high socks
February Lady Sweater
Tomten-child size

And I still have yarn left over! I am pretty sure that I can add to this list...I just got the new Mason Dixon book and there are some great patterns!

Thanks for reading and I promise that I will not wait 5 months to blog again! I have some great autumn foliage shots that I want to share.

Finished some socks

2008-06-19T18:28:00.001-07:00

I just finished my second sock of Child's First Sock...just in time to start summer o' the socks! Sorry so sparse in the blogging; I had to go to NY for work and am now getting ready to go on vacation to WY!!! If I have time I will take pics of the socks and other things in progress, but it may have to wait until I get back after the 4th of July. WHOOWEE for SotS!

I think the internets is fixed...

2008-05-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

Yay! The cable guy (thank goodness, it was not Larry) came this morning and changed some connectors to make the signal better. So far, so good! I have some wips to show you:

This is the fern lace pattern from Vogue Stitchionary. The yarn is Jade Sapphire Cashmere-silk in Oceana (from Fiddlehead Yarns). It is so soft and nice to knit.

Below you see the Mad Color Weave Sock by Christine Lorin. The yarn is Perchance to Knit Merino Cashmere (more cashmere!) in Roses, Roses (from The Loopy Ewe):

This is the first sock, and, again, this is very soft and nice to knit. Hmmm, cashmere = soft, duh!

And now for something completely different, I give you Child's First Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush:

This is different because it has no *gasp* cashmere content in the fiber. It is Crystal Palace Panda Cotton (cotton + bamboo = very nice for spring/summer socks) in Vanilla Creme (also form The Loopy Ewe).

I am still working on tangled yoke-just ribbing and stockinette so far, not really exciting and several other ufos that have stalled a bit. I also have a ton of fabric to turn into skirts and I think I am going to attempt a shirt...well, we'll see how that goes. I also have fabric from generous coworkers that I think I can turn into some cute tote/lunch bags. Maybe I need to get some of that iron on vinyl. I have some plain white linen/cotton dishtowels that I have the itch to embroider. I think I need to look through my embroidery books for some inspiration. Or draw out something. Too many crafts, too much time spent at work to pay that damn mortgage! At least I own and am not renting!

See you on Monday!

Internets intermittent

2008-05-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

I called comcast today cuz my cable modem is not cooperating...sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I have someone coming out in two weeks (I am NOT going to be held prisoner during the holiday weekend!). I will post when I can (probably not too many pics).

In knitting news, I finished one of child's first sock and am working on tangled yoke and beehive shawl. I anticipate being able to knit quite a bit this weekend! Hopefully you will hear from me sooner rather than later!

Internets not working!

2008-05-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hey, do you all get calls from your parents asking questions about the computer that they think you will know automatically? Yeah, I do-I am my parents' tech support--mix that with very little computer knowledge and lack of english-that sounds like tech support when I call!

Eh. Anyway, my mom loved the shawl (only 7 months late-shut up!). Don't know if I will be able to blog from home as my modem seems to only work intermittently. Oh, joy, another evening on the phone with comcast!

Bring on Mother's Day!

2008-05-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

Yipee!!!! I finished it! My Mom saw my Icarus (by Miriam Felton) and wanted one for herself. Here it is fresh off the needles:

Here it is blocking:

Here it is in action:

and here is a beauty shot of the lace edging:

The yarn is Perchance to Knit Lace in Harlot's Peacock/Midnight Rainbow that I purchased from the Loopy Ewe. I think it turned out OK, don't you? Here is a link to my Ravelry entry. I'm putting it in the mail tomorrow; hopefully it will get there by Saturday!

Scotch and Lace don't mix...

2008-05-01T19:48:00.001-07:00

Take this as a warning--I am in the last stages of icarus for moms (supposed to be a birthday christmas mom's day gift) and was enjoying an after dinner drink (mmmmm McCallan's Sherry cask aged 12 yr old) and knitting. I lost count, luckily near the end of a row and I am in the last chart so there are a billion + stitches to work with dudes! I was just starting the no yarnover, just knit and purl row when I noticed that the lace pattern was wonky. I tinked and fixed it but, man, was that scary! I hope to finish it this weekend, wash and block it and still have time to mail it to mom in time for her holiday!

I'm back--better late than never, RIGHT?

2008-04-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

Hey all, last week I was holed up in downtown Chicago as I had to work two days in the city. I live 50 (!) miles away and the expressways I would have to traverse are BOTH under construction. Needless to say, I imposed on my friend Rena (Hi Rena!) to let me stay in her apartment near Navy Pier. Fun! Anyway, I don't have any new pictures of the progress I made on my socks (a LOT) but here is a picture of the yarn that I will be using to knit Snowflakes in Cedarwoods by Anne Hanson:

That is Perchance to Knit in Violets and Ice that I purchased from The Loopy Ewe. I ADORE this yarn (using it currently for Icarus in Harlot's Peacock)-not only is it gorgeously dyed, you get a crystal stitch marker with each skein of yarn! And how can you go wrong with silk and merino? Anyway, I still need to finish my Bee Fields before I start the Snowflakes shawl! Can you tell I like Anne's patterns?

Next week I should have some sock pictures and HOPEFULLY a finished Icarus in for my mom in time for Mom's Day. Wish me luck!

Socks Socks Socks! (and stocking)

2008-04-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am a day late on the blogging (and I am watching American Idol, too!) But I had to post some socks that I just FINISHED! Here are Hedgerow Socks by Jane Cochran (made from Dream in Color Smooshy, Strange Harvest):

and here is a detail shot of the stitch pattern:

The only change I made was to make a flat toe instead of round and to shorten the heel a bit (I have teeny feet). All in all a wonderful knit that I will do again.

I also got some Misti Alpaca sock yarn from Fiddlehead Yarns in Kenosha, WI (love Mindy's shop!)

Which I have already started the Oak Ribbed Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks:

This is the one of the best sock yarns I have knitted up and I have tried a lot of sock yarns! Love the way the colors just stripe randomly!

And, I think I am the only sock knitter that hasn't knitted a jaywalker...but here is my rendition in Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, Birches:

And for my niece, I am knitting up a Judy's Colors stocking. Leg all done, just need to do the heel and foot:

All in all, train riding has upped my knitting time and I LOVE IT! I also love that I have a set time to arrive and leave work--not as much working later because I can (and to avoid traffic). Anyway, I need to knit some more. Next week I will post my latest sweater project (tangled yoke) and what I want my next big project to be. I'll be back!

Lots of knitting, blogging, not so much

2008-04-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

OK, OK I know I haven't been blogging that much...but I have done some knitting:

Here is a are a couple of hats from the Knitters Book of Yarn.

This one was made of Cascade 220 and fits an adult:

This one is made of Koigu and fits a baby/toddler:

This is my latest project, Scandinavian Cardigan from Cottage Creations. Here is my Ravelry link.

Front:

Yoke Detail:

Grograin Ribbon detail, reinforcing button band and buttonholes:

Sleeve Detail (I added it myself!):

The yarn is Cascade Pastaza (50% llama, 50% wool) about 6.5 skeins of the brown, less than one each of the colors (ice blue, heather blue and heather green). I still have enough to knit a hat to match and maybe some mittens! I LOVED this sweater! I bought the yarn on March 8, 2008 and finished April 6, 2008. Knit in the round with my first steek EVER (sewing it on the machine was nerve wracking, but I got it done OK. Cutting it was EEK scary! But it all worked out. I did the sleeves and body from a provisional cast on (so very easy to add the sleeve detail) and E Zimmerman's mitered button band. And for the bottom I just added some garter stitch without reducing the number of stitches, but did go down from a size 8 needle to a size 6. For the sleeves, I forgot to switch to the smaller needle size, but I liked how it flared out JUST FINE (ok, I did consider ripping out and replacing but my friends convinced me that it looked good). The beauty of it is I can still do that if I want! All in all a GREAT knit.

I also finished a feather and fan scarf from Noro Sock yarn; am working on socks (Hedgerow and Jaywalkers--I think I am the last sock knitter to knit jaywalkers!), a Christmas stocking for my niece, a shawl for my mom (supposed to have been a Christmas gift--bad me), and I just started the Tangled Yoke cardigan. I will post more pictures when I get a chance to take them and download to my computer.

Hopefully that won't take me two months to do! I need a blog schedule...for now, I think I will blog at least once a week on Mondays (seem to be a good day). If I can keep that up, I will try to add another day. But for now, baby steps!

Testing

2008-02-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

What I do all day is test software, create test plans to test software, create documentation for software...so that is why I love to knit, sew, cross stitch, etc. But when I see a cool thing in a blog, well, I like to test it out. So when I found this on Jess's website. Well, I really like it!

All you have to do to get it is to click of PictoBrowser on the lower right corner. Enjoy!

Hooked on Stranded Knitting

2008-01-20T09:13:00.001-08:00

So, reporting from the bird in hand bandwagon, I completed my first mitten. I haven't blocked or steamed yet, so sorry for the bumpiness. Here is the back of the right mitten:

Here is the palm (still need to embroider the bird parts):
Not too shabby for a first attempt at a mitten and stranded knitted, huh? Unfortunately, below you will see a glove that is my hand size:
The cascade 220 on US 2 needles knitted up a bit too large. My friend suggested that I felt it a little and use it as an oven mitt. I may just do that! I am not giving up on the BIH, though. I went to the LYS (Fiddlehead Yarns in Kenosha, WI-Hi Mindy!) and got some Mericash solid by Punta del Este yarns. 80% Merino and 20% Mongolian Cashmere. This yarn is YUMMY! I didn't like the reds available, so I picked up some Sage-y green (SOL 339) and cream (SOL 311). I cannot wait to knit this up!

Here is a progress pic on my Ivy League Vest:
I am using Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift fingering and the variation of thickness is not driving me crazy yet. I love knitting on this, but I am a little apprehensive about steeks. Here is close up of the corrugated ribbing:
And a closeup of the pattern so far:
And now for something completely different...I always have some socks in progress:
Hedgerow Socks by Jane Cochran in Dream in Color smooshy sock yarn, Strange Harvest. It is a great color!

Freezing A** Cold

2008-01-19T20:28:00.001-08:00

I know it is january and it is supposed to be cold in the Chicago area, but two weeks ago it wa 65 degrees! It is now 2 below. YIKES! I am SOOOOOOOOOO glad that I will watching the Green Bay game from the warmth and comfort of my home and not in Lambeau (sorry if I spelled that incorrectly-too lazy to look it up). I am totally psyched that my parents retired to Tampa, FL and that I will be visiting them in February. OK, end of my rant.

100 Greatest Movies

2008-01-19T16:20:00.001-08:00

I was reading Annalea's blog and I was intrigued by the movie list so, here is my list.

1. Citizen Kane (1941) 
2. The Godfather
 3. Casablanca (1942)
 4. Raging Bull (1980)
 5. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
 6. Gone with the Wind (1939)
 7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
 8. Schindler’s List (1993)
 9. Vertigo (1958)
 10. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
 11. City Lights (1931)
 12. The Searchers (1956)
 13. Star Wars (1977)
 14. Psycho (1960)
 15. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
 16. 2001 : A Space Odyssey (1968)
 17. The Graduate (1967)
 18. The General (1927)
 19. On the Waterfront (1954) 
20. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) 
21. Chinatown (1974)
 22. Some Like It Hot (1959)
 23. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
 24. E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982)
 25. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
 26. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) 
27. High Noon (1952)
 28. All About Eve (1950)
 29. Double Indemnity (1944)
 30. Apocalypse Now (1979)
 31. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
 32. The Godfather Part II (1974)
 33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
 34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
 35. Annie Hall (1977)
 36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
 37. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
 38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
 39. Dr. Strangelove (1964) 
40. The Sound of Music (1965)
 41. King Kong (1933)*
 42. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) 
43. Midnight Cowboy (1969) 
44. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
 45. Shane (1953)
 46. It Happened One Night (1934)
 47.A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
 48. Rear Window (1954)
 49. Intolerance (1916)
 50. Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
 51. West Side Story (1961)
 52. Taxi Driver (1976) 
53. Deer Hunter, The (1978) 
54. M*A*S*H (1970)
 55. North by Northwest (1959)
 56. Jaws (1975)
 57. Rocky (1976)
 58. The Gold Rush (1925)
 59. Nashville (1975)
 60. Duck Soup (1933)
 61. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
 62. American Graffiti (1973)
 63. Cabaret (1972) 
64. Network (1976)
 65. The African Queen (1951)
 66. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
 67. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
 68. Unforgiven (1992)
 69. Tootsie (1982)
 70. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
 71. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
 72. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 
73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) 
74. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
 75. In the Heat of the Night (1967) 
76. Forrest Gump (1994) 
77. All the President’s Men (1976)
 78. Modern Times (1936)
 79. The Wild Bunch (1969)
 80. The Apartment (1960)
 81. Spartacus (1960)
 82. Sunrise (1927)
 83. Titanic (1997)
 84. Easy Rider (1969)
 85. A Night at the Opera (1935)
 86. Platoon (1986)
 87. 12 Angry Men (1957)
 88. Bringing Up Baby (1938) 
89. The Sixth Sense (1999)  
90. Swing Time (1936)
 91. Sophie’s Choice (1982)
 92. Goodfellas (1990)
 93. The French Connection (1971)
 94. Pulp Fiction (1994)
 95. The Last Picture Show (1971)
 96. Do the Right Thing (1989)
 97. Blade Runner (1982)*
 98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
 99. Toy Story (1995)
 100. Ben-Hur (1959)

57 out of 100. Not too shabby. But I think I still have a lot a movies to watch!

A walk in the woods...in 2007 and some FOs

2008-01-15T16:36:00.000-08:00

I have no excuses for not blogging. But here it is 2008 and I have not blogged since last december and a pretty lame one at that. But Bob and I went for a woods walk last november and I have to say, I love my camera (Nikon D40X).

I also did complete a sweater, Mr GreenJeans (makes me think of Captain Kangaroo!). Here is a detail of the cables (love cabling without a needle-Thanks Grumperina!)

and here is my finished product before blocking:

Yarn-Dream in Color Classy in Chinatown Apple I think about 4 skeins on bamboo needles recommended by the pattern. I LOVED knitting this sweater! It was so much fun to knit and I think I got it done in about 2 weeks. This was my first topdown sweater and there were NO seams to sew up! I did make the 2nd to largest size and I left the sleeve length alone (not 3/4 on me--full length) and I made the torso section a little shorter. Instead of a button, I made buttonholes on both sides of the sweater and I fasten with some i-cord I made out of some similar sock yarn. All in all, a FUN project.

Fair Isle fun:
What you see below is the start of my ivy league vest from interweave winter 2007. I am using smith and jameson fingering weight on size 3 addi turbos. I have gotten a little further along but I need to take more progress pics.

But before I started the vest, I took a fair isle class from Fiddlehead Yarns shop (a great lys in Kenosha, WI). Mindy was a GREAT teacher and I loved the class. It was a two parter, and, overacheiver that I am, I finished this hat before the next class.

So I spent my time adding a lining. It was fun. but the shop is 26 miles from my house! However, Mindy is great and I would drive all that way again to shop and take another class. If anyone is in the Kenosha area, you MUST check it out!

2007-12-22T04:26:00.001-08:00

I just installed a widger for blogger...just checking to see if it works. But I can't seem to create a title for it!

Yarn, yarn and more yarn

2007-11-03T09:03:00.000-07:00

Belated blogging is better than no blogging, right? Needless to say, the yarn purchasing has not slacked off...here are some of my latest yarn purchases:

Below you see Fleece Artist Sea Wool in Tangerine, Numma Numma toasty in Pumpkin Butter, Apple Laine apple pie in Arizona, The Knittery in Sea Breeze, and Artyarns Silk Rhapsody in a blues/purples/greens and a greens/browns.

Below you see Solitude Yarns in purple, teal and a variagated colorway.

For more details you can go to my flikr photoset by clicking on my sidebar. I will blog some of my wips and finished projects tomorrow! Enjoy the yarn p0rn!

Ravelry

2007-10-18T18:53:00.001-07:00

I just got invited!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!! However, work being the crazy time sucker I will probably only have time for the next couple of weeks to look around and add things here and there. I am knitting monkeys, pomatomases, and a couple of argosy scarves (LOVE that pattern). My friend Julie just got back from visiting her sister in VA who has with her partner a sheep and goat farm. And guess what? They spin and dye thier own wool. I got 3 lovely skeins that I will some day photograph (when I can get home before dark) and post. It is Solitude yarn (go here) worsted weight, 130 yds per 2.3-3 oz. It is lovely and soft as so squishy! I think I will try either an entrelac scarf or miter square scarf. Yippee! I can go to Ravelry to find the perfect pattern!

Alpha and Omega

2007-09-30T14:29:00.001-07:00

Did you hear the wagon creaking? I had tried unsuccessfully with different yarn before, but I just jumped on the Monkey bandwagon (again) and knit up my first pair:

The yarn is Apple Laine, Apple Pie sock yarn in the Sunrise colorway from The Loopy Ewe . They are gorgeous and fit like a dream. I only did 4 repeats for the leg and I changed the heel to the slip stitch version. I am addicted and started a new one already, but I am trying a picot edge for that one.

So, for the contest that Quiddity is having, here is a picture of my first and last socks. The first socks are the brown, orange and green stripey ones that I knit last May/June (I think). The pink pair are Cookie A's Twisted Flower socks in STR lightweight, colorway Lover's Leap or Lane--the pair I finished just before the Monkeys and then the Monkeys. My first socks were on two circulars from the toe up in a Knit Picks yarn that I don't remember the name of. I also did an afterthought heel, one of which unraveled the 2nd time I wore them. Needless to say, I've come a long way baby! I know now that I like to knit on DPNs (bamboo preferably) and I am pickier about which yarns I like to knit. For first socks, though, not too shabby, huh?

And I leave you all with a picture of an orchid flower that I managed not to kill. When my parents retired and moved from Minnesota to Florida, my Mom gave my a bunch of their orchids. I have only killed one (out of 4) I think from underwatering. But I know how to take care of them now and love having them around. Pretty, no?

Peapods and skeins

2007-09-17T16:53:00.001-07:00

I finally finished the Peapod sweater (pattern from Interweave knits-by Kate Gilbert) for my niece...it is made from Plymouth Suri Alpaca and I did it on US size 5 needles in the largest size. I love the buttons (which are more cranberry than pink in real life).

Here is a picture of Kira in Galena, IL--my brother and his wife attended a wedding there and I was brought along to babysit. Isn't she cutie pie? We didn't bring the sweater with us, but I will make my brother or SIL take a pic when I send it to them.

Here is the view from our balcony of Lake Galena (I think that is the name of the lake):

On Saturday, we all had some free time and we went into the town of Galena (I think the birthplace of Ulysses S Grant?) and I found a very nice yarn shop called Fiber Wild. There, I got some sock yarn raised by a local woman named Suzy (the shepherdess). I can't figure out how to do hyperlinks on blogger from Safari, so here is her url: www.SuzyBeggin.com. The yarn is 50 g and is 235 yards. The color is achieved by mixing white, black, brown and gray sheep! Very cool.

I also got my loopy ewe order in...from left to right is: Zen String Bambewe fingering in Tramanto, Spritely Goods in Windblown Mallow, Perchance to Knit sock in Hedera Helix, and last but not least, Shibui Knits in Autumn. I was very disappointed that ALL the Wollmeise was gone in just TWO hours, but hopefully I will be lucky next time!

Good ol' Yarny Goodness

2007-09-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

I had gotten some yarn from the Loopy Ewe (thanks Sheri!) I hadn't posted...from left to right is Woolly Boully in Luna Moth, Duet in Cowgirl, Perchance to Knit Lace (yummy silk and wool) in Wildflower (anyone notice how GOOD her yarn smells????), Interlacements Tiny Toes in Tapestry and Misty Mountain Farm Jubilee in Toucan.

Here is a beauty shot of the yarn in a basket:

And here are some socks I knit up in Interlacements Tiny Toes color 203 (I forget the name). The pattern is from Favorite Socks and is the Diagonal Cross Rib Socks

And a closeup of the detail:

I just placed another order but the Wollmeise was already all gone. And I was saving my $25 credit for those. Oh well, maybe I'll get some next time Sheri sneaks them in!

Goodbye Madeleine L'Engle

2007-09-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am very sad that one of my favorite authors Madeleine L'Engle has passed away this past weekend. She was my introduction to science fiction and one of my most treasured items is a book that she signed when she spoke at Wellesley. I love both her children's and adult fiction.

On a more fun note, I went to the website for The Golden Compass (another great book and series by Philip Pullman) and created my deamon:

Pretty cool!

Ravelry

2007-09-02T06:49:00.000-07:00

I just signed up for Ravelry...I am 30,510th in line, 19,146 people are in front of me. Since I signed up this morning (about 2 hours ago) 6 others have signed up.

*SIGH*

But I did join Flickr and am having fun looking at pictures there!

UFOs

2007-09-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some things I am working on...

This is the peapod sweater by Kate Gilbert (free from interweave if you belong to knitting daily). I am making this for my niece (1 year old).

Here is some detail of the peapod lace.

I am also working on Anne Hanson's Bee Fields Shawl. I am using merino laceweight in Tupelo Gold from Wooly Wonka Fibers.

Here is some detail of the beehive portion.

I am knitting up a storm these days! So many projects, so little time...

Photo Booth

2007-08-31T15:24:00.000-07:00

I have been playing around with my new computer and found that photo booth is pretty cool. Here is my Andy Warhol attempt:

And here is the pencil drawing effect:

Pretty cool, huh?

Next post I promise some knitting content! Right now I am too busy gettting to know my new computer to do anything else!

I heart mozilla and sunsets

2007-08-29T19:47:00.001-07:00

OK, I just downloaded firefox from Mozilla for FREE! And I am now able to blog a little easier. Safari was a little cumbersome. So here is a picture of a sunset in Jackson Hole, WY from over the 4th of July week. Enjoy!

It's HERE!!!!

2007-08-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

My computer is finally here!!!! I LOVE it! But I am still not used to a mac. I have been using PC's now for over 13 years and old habits die hard. Like how do you copy and paste? Sorry for the bad picture. I got home after 8 pm today and did not have natural light. Also, my house is a mess!

Anyway, I also wanted to post some craft pics. Here is a little mascot that I made for my sockpal! Isn't she cute? I made her from the Cute Book. I would give you the link but I am still trying to figure out where stuff is...like a file bar!

And here is a picture of my Q3 challenge from the Loopy Ewe! It is Cookie A's Twisted Flower and it was a joy to knit!

Once I have more knitting pics (I need light to photograph my Bee Shawl in progress) and figure out how to navigate the internet on my iMac, I will post again. Probably this weekend!

Newness

2007-08-21T05:34:00.000-07:00

So, I have made the plunge and have purchased the new iMac (20", w/added RAM)! It is being configured right now and will ship in a week or so. I also just got a bunch of new sock yarn from the Loopy Ewe (YUM!!) that includes Duets, Wooly Boully, Misty Mountain Farm and more Tiny Toes from Interlacements (I LOVE this yarn). And, whilst I was on vacation, I received my Bee Shawl Kit from Wooly Wonka Fibers! I still have no internet connection at home (this is a stealth post from work) so, alas, no pictures. But just you wait! When I get my new computer, this blog will be LOUSY w/pics!

Anyway, even though I have a jillion ufos, I did start the Bee and was able to complete the setup chart last night. I thought I was a written out directions girl, but man, I must have morphed into a chart girl at some point. I was able to follow the chart MUCH better than trying to read the directions. BTW, the yarn is knitting up BEAUTIFULLY! I love it and knitting it, too!

Hopefully I will have a computer the next time I want to post so I can show you some eye candy!

Vacations and Sockapalooza

2007-08-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, sorry for not posting in such a long time...I was on vacation during the week of July 4th (in Jackson Hole, WY!) and then last week in Michigan (Watersmeet--in the UP). During one of those vacations, my electricity went out and fried my wireless router. The computer I use has a wireless card, but does not have an ethernet card for me to try an fix my router. I think that this has driven me over the edge and I think I will buy a new computer (hopefully a mac). But, I digress. Once I get my computer/internet situation in hand, I will post w/pictures again.

I got a couple of packages over my vacation week...I got my sockapalooza socks, plus a pair of custom sock blockers (go here to see them). I LOVE my socks, my sock blockers, and three cheers for Sockapalooza! The other package I got was my Bee shawl kit from wooly wonka fibers! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to start this gorgeous shawl! I just have to get some needles from knitpicks...or maybe I may try out the new addi lace needles!

Anyways, I will try to post occationally, but, without pictures, until I get my computer situation fixed.

knit on!

A new pair of socks and a new toy...

2007-06-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I finished a pair of embossed leaves sock in Panda Cotton for my Mom in Periwinkle. Can I tell you how much I like knitting Panda cotton? It does NOT hurt my hands! Woo hoo! I will try to post a picture, but my Picassa is acting up and I am having problems downloading from my point and shoot. That may be because my new toy is the Nikon D40x!!!!! No more shutter lag! More megapixels and sharper photos! Here is a sample:

Isn't the picture great? I love me some yarn p0rn. Oh, I wound all those balls of yarn today to get it ready for my much needed vacation starting next Sunday--I am going to Jackson Hole, WY. We will be going whitewater rafting, horseback riding, hiking, going to fireworks (launched from the side of a MOUNTAIN!) I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited!!

Oh, I got over my technical difficulties and was able to download my embossed leaves socks. Aren't they pretty?

btw...that is my mom modelling those bad boys. The rents were just in Africa doing medical and missionary work (my dad is a retired physician). They just retired to Tampa, FL, but they were given tickets leaving out of O'Hare (so logical!). So they road tripped up, went on their two week trip, came back, rested a couple of days and are now road tripping back. It was nice because I was able to celebrate Father's Day and my Dad's birthday in PERSON! They drive me crazy but I love em anyway!

So, I got lots o socks to knit!

I got YARN!!!!

2007-05-29T16:11:00.001-07:00

I was discouraged by my attempts at knitting a Monkey sock so I went back to the Uptown Boot Socks from Interweave's Favorite Knits. I had already done a pair in Lorna's Laces but had this Sock Hop Yarn from Crown Mountain Farms (Hang on Sloopy colorway) just itching to be stitched! It is handspun so it runs the gamut from very thin to very thick but it all seems to even out in the end. Only one bad side affect is that I seem to crave Cheetos when I knit on these babies. Do you think if I ate some while knitting and the fake cheesy goodness would even show up on the socks? heeheehee!

On to the yarn p0rn...I just ordered a few (cough cough) skeins of yarn from the Loopy Ewe (isn't Sheri's site awesome?!?!?) and they arrived today...

On the top is J. Knits superwash sock yarn in Wyoming (because I will be in Jackson Hole for the 4th of July week--I can't wait!!!!). From left to right is: Apple Laine in Sunrise, Cider Moon Icicle in Juneau, sKNITches Bebop Sock in Turtleback (such a nice subtle colorway!), All Things Heather superwash merino in Peachtree, and Fleece Artist Merino Sock in Jester. And last but not least on the very bottom left, I have Fleece Artist sea wool in Angelfish. Whew! How will I choose which to knit first?

Oh, and I have other yarns from previouse purchases that I have not shown but I have already started projects w/them and will post later when I have better progress pics.

To rip or not to rip

2007-05-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

I finished my Monkey sock (I started yesterday and finished this morning--I LOVED knitting this sock) but STR lightweight w/#2 needles proved to make a bigger sock than I wanted. A part of me doesn't want to waste the time that I took to knit this sock but it really is TOO BIG and would really bug me. Do I go down to a #1 or 1.5 needle? Do I just choose a different pattern for the STR and a new yarn for my Monkeys (for I MUST own a pair)? I will probably rip it and try on smaller needles but the time it took! Boo hoo!

The colors are beautiful, no (colorway farmhouse)?

Love STR and Monkey!

Socks

2007-05-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

OK, I have not been the best of bloggers. No excuses, just laziness computer-wise. Not so lazy on the knitting front, though. I have been buying sock yarn ad infinitum (sorry if my latin spelling is incorrect); here is some STR that I got:

On the left is STR superwash merino mediumweight in Foofaraw, middle STR superwash merino lightweight in Lover's Leap and on the right STR superwash merino lightweight in Farmhouse. I have started Monkey socks (sorry for the blurry pic):

I knit up a pair of Waving Lace socks in Schaefer Anne from Favorite Socks:

I knit up a pair of Uptown Boot socks (also from Favorite Socks) in Lorna's Laces Black Pearl (hee hee! I am watching Dead Man's Chest right now!):

It did pool kinda crazy like by I like it! And I love cabling!

And I finished my Sockapalooza socks, Meida's Socks (again from Favorite Socks--can you tell I LOVE this book?) in Koigu KPPPM:

These socks combined my love of lace and cabling in ONE sock. I do not use a cabling needle, but followed the directions in the sock pattern of how the Estonians cabled.

As you can see, I use sock blockers to photograph my socks--I do not wash and block on these babies--I got them from the Loopy Ewe from whom I will be getting some new sock yarn that I am excited about! When I get my latest order, I will blog again w/all the other goodies that I have gotten from Sheri.

Bye for now (I promise not to wait 2 months this time!).

I saw Steph IN PERSON!

2007-04-04T05:37:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night, I got home after work and sat down to surf the net and read blogs. I got to Steph's blog and realized that she was in town TUESDAY night and not Monday night as I originally thought (I had to bring my car to the shop on monday night so I was resigned not to make it that night). So at 6:30 pm, I hopped in my car and punched it to Oakbrook and I was only 5-10 minutes late! I have one very bad and blurry picture that I will post later this week once I get my photos uploaded to my laptop. I was SO excited to see her! Very funny and VERY nice to us last of the line girls. WOO HOO! I got a book signed by her, too!

Year of the Pig?!?!?!?!

2007-02-21T20:00:00.000-08:00

I was going through some of my crafty pics and came across this:

This is a cake that I made for one of my friends (who happens to practice Islam) who said when I asked what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday, "Any kind is fine, as long as it is not pork." Of course I took that for a challange...so I came up with PIG CAKE! I baked a boxed red velvet (in deference to Steel Magnolias gotta love the armadillo groom's cake!) in a 9" cake pan, in a tempered glass bowl and a ramekin. I added red food coloring to white canned frosting to make the pretty pig pink color. The ears I made out of paper, taped toothpicks to and attached to the head. The tail is curly ribbon, curled, of course! And the feet are Ho Ho's. She LOVED it!

So, in celebration of the year of the pig, I give you a Pig Cake. I am still working on knitting, too, but work has been crazy, so nothing really new to share. Hopefully I will make some progress this weekend and post some progress pictures soon.

A Sweater, a shawl and socks

2007-02-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

Here it is! My first sweater. It is the Jawbreaker Cardigan from Interweave Knits Winter 2006. It was a VERY fast knit (size 11 needles!). In my last post, Lynn asked if I thought the collar felt like too many stitches. I have to admit...I am kind of a geek...so I actually sorta did the math and calculated at which stitches I could increase by two so that I would have the correct number of stitches needed for the collar without bunching. So that was the hard part. I had no problems w/mattress stitching up the seams. I love this sweater!

Finally! I finished, washed and blocked my Icarus:

Here is a close up of the edge:

And I also have a picture of a pair of socks that I finished last December, Conwy from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road:

I also started the Nantucket Jacket (also from Interweave Knits Winter 2006). I LOVE the stitch pattern and the berrocco pure merino wool! So soft! I will post some progress pics soon.

I also got the books Knit 2 Together by Tracy Ullman and Mel Clark and Sarah Dallas Knitting. I really like both these books and want to make almost everything from both books! I already made the baby cape in Knit 2 Together, which brings me to a question...the cape called for size 6 needles, 4 mm. But my size 6 clover needles are 4.25 mm. I didn't check the diameter when I first started, but as I went along (and needed way more yarn than I thought!) I checked the size. I had to use 1 whole more hank of cascade 220 than the pattern called for! But I made it work. Once I get buttons I will post a pic. But why is there a difference between what the book calls for and what size my needles actually are?

Anyway, I am having a blast knitting...when I can get away from the needles, I will post!

Works in progress

2007-01-21T13:13:00.000-08:00

Below is the Jawbreaker Cardigan from the winter 2006 Interweave Knits Mag, just waiting to be seamed up...I have read in several places that you don't have to block before seaming, but this yarn (Cascade 128 Tweed, color7607) is fairly bulky and I think the blocking will help me in the seaming as this is my first sweater.

This is Icarus w/5 rows left to go on Chart 4 and then only 4 more rows! I hope I have enough yarn left over...yummy suri alpaca.
And last but not least is the Conwy sock from Knitting on the Road in trekking...I already knitted this sock but I loved knitting it so much I wanted to do it again.
When I have something finished I will blog again...soon I hope!!

I'm ba-ack!

2007-01-18T15:29:00.000-08:00

Hey, it's been a while since I've blogged...work and the holidays were extremely busy. I went to Minnesota for Thanksgiving-I finally met my neice, Kira, thecutestbabyinthewholeworld! This was probably the last time I will be going to MN for the holidays since my parents are retiring to Tampa. But hopefully not the last time ever! Too many friends and memories to give it up completely! Anyway, after turkey day festivities, work was crazy, then I went to NYC to take care of Kira while by brother was taking finals and my sil went back to work. Kira was the coolest. I even made a hat for her while I was out there (modified from my Dulaan hat pattern). I also made a pair of socks Conwy from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush. I LOVED knitting this sock. Oh, the yarn was DELICIOUS, too! I used Sock Hop yarn from Crown Mountain farms in the colorway, Say a Little Prayer. I also made the Fetching from Knitty mitts and again the Dulaan coordinating hat for my guy's daughter for Christmas. I am working on the edging for Icarus and am on the 2nd sleeve for Jawbreaker Cardigan. I did start a sleeve for the Mariah hoodie, also from Knitty, but I think I made a mistake and may have frog part or all of it. Whew! I have a lot of knittin going on! But I have no pictures! I am a bad project photo taker. But I have to include one photo... This is a bittersweet covered silo on a farm that was near where Bob placed his trailer where he stayed while he hunted. Yes, he hunts deer, but he is completely legal (has all permits, etc) and he eats all that he shoots. I will take pictures of projects soon and will post them when I have them! Happy Knitting!

Socktoberfest...better late then never!

2006-11-13T17:51:00.000-08:00

Ok, so October is done...and I did finish a pair of socks, the ones to the left in fact! They are the Lichen sock from Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush in Dicentra design sock yarn in Solar Energy. My pic is kinda washed out but the colors are VERY bright! I love them!

Works in Progress:

I also started on the Pomatomus socks from Knitty.com in Dicentra designs yarn in the Gilrain colorway...I like knitting these! But...

I am aslo working on the Print o' the Waves Stole (by the super-creative Eunny). I have made the two halves, but I have a limited amount of fiber left over (yummy sea silk in the Nova Scotia colorway) and am at a loss as to how to edge this.

I have also just started the Icarus shawl (in Dicentra designs alpaca laceweight in Abalone ...I have a weakness for knitting and crocheting lace! And Icarus is mesmerizing in it's simplicity in the body of the shawl...I am a little scared for the edging but I think I can do it!

I also have bought cascade 22o for the perfect sweater, blue sky organic cotton for a knitted bear for my niece, malabrigo for a scarf/hat/mittens for my friend Rena and my friend Malini just got back from Scotland/England w/some nice yarn for me! So much yarn, so little time!

Dulaan or Bust!

2006-11-05T04:07:00.000-08:00

This is Franklin. He is the mastermind behind the Chicago Dulaan Knit in and the host with the most! I met a bunch of knitters--we practically overran the JohnEvans Alumni Center at Northwestern University. Also in the picture is Melinda-she sat at the table where I was also knitting.

I also met Mary (who is going to Hong Kong--I'm so jealous!), Louann (no blog), Debbie and Kathy (I think or maybe it was Katherine). Anyway, I had tons of fun and I even completed a project that I had started that day.

This is the Dulaan 'Fetching' hat. I have just made the Fetching Mitts from Knitty and thought how fun it would be to create a hat from the cuff pattern. I used Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks and size 10 dpns. This pink color seems to not be available now...but I think that it would be stunning in mauve or wine, too.

So, this is how I knit this baby up:

Yarn: Wool of the Andes Bulky, Pink. I don't know how much of this I used--I had some left over from a previous project.
Needles: Clover Bamboo Double Points, size 10
Other tools: spare dpn or cable needle, darning needle to weave in ends, marker

Using the cable cast on, I cast on 80 sts. Divide over 4 needles. Join, being careful not to twist. You may want to place a marker between the first and last stitches.

Row 1-3: Knit 4, purl 1 to the end
Row 4: Using your spare dpn or cable needle, slip 2 sts from the left needle, move to the back. Knit 2, knit the 2 slipped sts, purl 1 to the end

Repeat rows 1-4 two more times. You will have 3 cables.

After knitting row 4 for the third cable, knit 4, purl 1 until you have about 3 inches of ribbing (I did about 11 rows).

Decrease Rows:
After you have the length you desire, you need to decrease to make the top of the hat. I followed the ribbing pattern to do this and I think it turned out to be very pretty on its own!

Decrease Row 1: knit 2, knit 2 together, purl 1 to the end (64 sts left).
Row 2: knit 3, purl 1 to the end
Row 3: knit 1, knit 2 together, purl 1 to the end (48 sts left)
Row 4: knit 2, purl 1 to the end
Row 5: knit 2 together, purl 1 to the end (32 sts left)
Row 6: knit 1, purl 1 to the end
Row 7: knit 2 together to the end (16 sts left)
Row 8: knit to the end.

Break yarn, leaving about a 8-10 inch tail, and using the darning needle, draw yarn through the remaining sts, pull tight. Weave in the ends and you are done!

Please email me at gracedlee AT gmail DAHT com if you have any questions!

Enjoy!

Swan Lake

2006-10-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

This is a swan that I took a picture of last Sunday. Bob lives across the street from Gages Lake and sometimes swans make a stopover at the lake. I am a city girl and am used to seeing swans in zoos in cages. I love that I was able to catch swans in the wild! And they were very cooperative...I started taking pictures and they swam TOWARDS me! How cool is that?

I am a BAAAAAAAD blogger

2006-10-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

I am not the best person for updating blogs. But what with work and being sick, not much time or energy to blog (I would rather knit). But in homage to SOCKTOBERFEST I did finish a pair of socks. I will post at soon as I get my picture off my camera and onto my 'puter. I also started another pair of socks (Pomatomus-how do you pronounce this?) and I LOVE it! I will post progress pics of these, too, as soon as I get them off my camera.

More FO's to come....

All work and no play...

2006-10-01T06:13:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I have been SUPER busy at work-I work in IT in software quality assurance. That means we have fixed deadlines and we often don't get the final version until, oh, a day before the install date! FUN! Anyway, we have a little breather coming up so I can post blogs again.

Being busy does not mean that I have not been knitting! I finished my Kiri shawl in kidsilk haze:

I still need to block it, but being a shawl/lace newbie, I still need to get some blocking pins and/or wires. I also got some new yarns:

This is Seas Silk in Nova Scotia (top) and Periwinkle. I am knitting up the Nova Scotia into Eunny's Print o' the Waves Stole for my Mom for birthday/Christmas. Here is pic of the very beginnings of the stole (I have finished one panel and close to finishing the other-will post pics when I have recharged my camera battery):

And I got some laceweight from Handpainted Yarn:

Laceweight wool in purple gold (currently knitting Kiri shawl again). This one reminds me of fall leaves. I also got:

Laceweight in Indigo and Emerald Blue

Laceweight in Bergamot

Bulky merino in Mango (for mitts for Bob's daughter)

I haven't started anything yet in the above yarns...will post when I have pictures. And, I have just joined SOCKTOBERFEST! Time to finish my socks!

I have lots of socks to finish! Posts of socks in progress to come!

I am an Auntie!

2006-09-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

This is baby Kira. She was born on August 31st in NYC, 7 lbs 2 oz. I made a blankie for her (from Mason Dixon Knitting) and a burp cloth w/left over yarn. I still have some yarn, so I think I will be making a hat for her, too. Here are some pics of the burp cloth and blankie:

I loved knitting these up for my new niece! Here is my brother, Fred, with Kira:

And SIL Jean:

So sweet!

Prissed up Powder Room (almost)

2006-08-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

I finished a Moss Grid towel. I need to make a mate before my powder room can really be prissed up. I used linen (Euroflax in willow), with #4 bamboo needles (I loved knitting this up). Here it is unblocked:

I also have started a Kiri shawl using Rowan Kidsilk Haze in wine:

I got the free pattern from Polly. Thanks Polly! I am having a ball knitting this up, even though I did have to tink back 4 rows because a mistake that I thought I could live with was so bad that I tinked. Rowan.Kid.Silk.Haze. This is a bitch to rip and tink. But so worth it! I posted in a previous entry that I had started the print o the waves stole. I stared and ripped back 3 times. I am NOT a good chart reader. I am much better at following a written pattern, probably because of all my doily crochet experience. I think I will need to write it out before I can do it justice. I am still working on two different pairs of socks...and I just got Charlene Schurch's sock book as well as Nancy Bush's On the Road sock book. So many socks...so little time!

Wyoming Skies

2006-08-18T05:30:00.000-07:00

I love Wyoming. I love that my boyfriend has a very nice friend who has invited us out there for the past couple of years (and is looking like will be an annual thing). Thanks Barb! She takes us to the best places. That's my guy Bob in the picture to the left--we took the tram to the top of Rendezvous Mountain in Teton Village. We had great views of the Tetons and the village below. We also saw some crazy um, I mean brave souls paragliding--they jump off the side of the mountain into an updraft and glide. Here is a picture (you will have to enlarge to see the paraglider):

and another one:

Wyoming has some BIG skies!!

Baby Blanket

2006-08-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

I finished this baby blanket (moderne from the Mason-Dixon Knitting book using Tahki Cotton Classic on # 6 circulars) in 2 weeks! I had started a traditional log cabin using Noro Kureyon but my brother (he and his wife are due in early September) said it looked too 'tie dye-y'.

And the shower was only a week away! So, I had to bring the UFO to the shower-in NYC-I live in Chicago-and then bring it back to finish. They are different! But I love my brother and SIL so I was happy to do it. I will even make coordinating burp cloths with the leftover yarn:

I love pink and tan together!

I also have some socks in progress. I just got some yarn from Crown Mountain Farms-Dicentra Designs in Solar Energy (seen below) and Gilrain which I haven't wound yet.

I also have a sock going on two circulars (in trekking below). I am not sure which I like better...DPNs or circulars. I think I am leaning toward the DPN's--I love bamboo!

That's it for now...but I am dying to start a shawl (free pattern from Eunny) in Dicentra laceweight in Abalone. YUM!

Not really a knitting post...

2006-07-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

I just watched the movie Firewall last night and it is about a bank security head that a group of men hold hostage until he can get $10,000 from their top 2000 accounts. They wire him and put a camera on him, have his computer 'bugged' so that anything he writes or looks at, they see, too. But it never occurs to him that he could very sneakily write a HANDWRITTEN note to anyone to clue them in on what is going on. My boyfriend said that this was a summer blockbuster movie and you have to have a reasonable suspension of belief (he said, "Ohmygodthisisasummermoviegetoveryourselfalready"--I tend to do this a lot at the movies). But when I watch Sci-Fi movies I don't question what happens. I wonder why this is?

On the knitting front, I have no pictures, but I have started my THIRD blanket for my brother and SIL for their new baby coming in september. I had started a log cabin quilt from the Mason Dixon Knitting book in Noro Kuryon but my brother said it looked too tie-dye-y. I then went for the moderne baby blanket in peaches n cream and sugar n creme but I didn't like the colors. I then went to my LYS to get some birch dpn's and found cotton classic mercerized. Great colors and such a pretty sheen! I will post pics as soon as I get all 4 colors going.

I also got some kidsilk haze in a pretty burgundy color and will be starting a shawl soon...

Trekking in Jackson, Wyoming

2006-07-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

So, I have just returned from Jackson, WY (thanks for inviting me Barb!) and I had a fabulous time! We hiked, rafted, went horseback riding, recoved from the horseback riding at the Granite hot springs and played LOTS of Cranium (a completely fun game!). Of course I brought my knitting along...

This was taken on a hiking trail along the Gros Ventre River valley.

This was taken by the Gros Ventre River.

This was taken at the top of Rendezvous Mountain (last year for the tram in Teton Village--boo hoo!) and yes, that is me. Great view, huh? This was the second of the pair using Trekking XXL 100 (seems to be a favorite...) knitted using the Child's First Sock Pattern from Nancy Bush's book: Knitting Vintage Socks and here is the finished product:

Fun, huh? This is the first lace sock pattern I tried. Needless to say, my second sock is much better than my first. After I finished this pair I started another using Mountain Colors Wool Quarters in Wilderness. I only finished one sock in Wyoming--the second I finished back in Illinois. I modified Nancy Bush's heelless bed sock--I wanted a heel, so I put one in:

And here is another clearer picture of my trekking socks:

I like to knit socks!

Stay home and knit

2006-06-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

Why is it when women are expected to wait that they somethimes use the phrase, "What am I supposed to do, stay home and knit?" They usually say this like this is a BAD thing that they would never want to do voluntarily! I would love to stay home and knit. But, alas, I have bills, a mortgage and I really like to eat, so off to work I go.

Anyway, I recently got the Mason Dixon Knitting book and I LOVE peaches n cream yarn (and sugar and creme yarn and euroflax!). I have made three washrags, a burpcloth, two buttonhole bags, the absorba bathmat and am in the process of making a moss stitch linen finger towel, a baby kimono and a log cabin baby blanket. It is so much fun!

I feel like such a newbie to the knitting world and yet, I want to do it all the time. I have the very beginnings of a stash (I like sock yarn, a little TOO much) and have yet to knit anything more complicated than socks. I am scared of the sweater...but I think I may like to try some lace...I have crocheted doilies, how hard can a shawl be? I hope that these are not famous last words. I will post pictures of my other work in a later blog.

Blog virgin

2006-05-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

Hi...I am posting my first blog ever! I am a blog virgin! I have never really posted anything, just comments on other blogs but I have found a calling that has persuaded me to express just how I LOVE to knit! I just started a few months ago. I had been a dedicated crocheter for YEARS (doilies anyone?) but had always been afraid to try knitting. Well, my friend Linda, convinced me and another friend to take a knitting class at Joanne's and the rest is history. I learned to make a spiral scarf and thank god that we took it on a Friday because I stayed up after the class ended (at 9 pm) and finished it! At 1 am! I moved on to other scarves, hats, then I discovered masondixonknitting.com. I made the buttonhole bag, then another and then I got the book and am working on my first warshrag. I have also made my first pair of socks (I knit from the toe up on two circulars...how do you get the opening to not be so tight?). So, my adventures in knitting have just begun...my boyfriend is a hunter and wants me to knit him something to wear while he hunts. Something CAMO. I think that I will have to put on my designing hat soon!