Who Gives a Knit?

I'm Baaaaack!

2008-01-22T15:42:00.000-05:00

I have been away for awhile. Got busy with some major home improvement projects over the Spring and Summer. I cannot believe how long it has been since I have posted! So much has happened I wouldn't even know where to begin catching up.
One item of interest that I must mention is the birth of my beautiful Grandgirl Jenna. She was born in July and is absolutely amazingly gorgeous. I cannot say how much I love being a Grammie to now 2 precious itty bitties.

They are simply precious. I know most Grandparents think their Grandchildren are wonderful but you cannot imagine these two.I can just sit and stare at them and never get tired of their facial expressions and now that Riley speaks so well I cannot wait to hear what he will say next.

I am not going to spend a lot of time trying to catch up with all that has gone on since my last post. Not much to say in the way of knitting - once Spring got here in '07 I put down the needles and picked up paint brushes and painted nearly every square inch of the house inside and out. With my darling hubby's help we got it all done and got the baseboards all replaced. It was grueling work but we managed and it was fun I have to admit. I have yet to re-tile the kitchen back splash and I am going to tile my kitchen counters in lieu of replacing them.
I am currently working on a new blankie for Jenna doll - you may remember the big bad baby blanket from Stitch N' Bitch By Debbie Stoller. I made her the original one in yellow using JoJoLand Bloom but failed to give Daddy and Mommy washing instructions like a silly girl. Well , they washed it in the washing machine and threw it in the dryer not knowing any better and it being 59% wool , you got it, it felted. It was a fun knit so I don't mind in the least whipping up another one. I am doing this one in pretty pink JoJoLand for the sweet doll baby. I hope to have it finished soon and will post pics.
Gotta go for now - will try to stay current and keep posting regularly. C'ya - Jules

All tied up and baby hat

2007-04-24T10:35:00.000-05:00

I mentioned this to Dan awhile back and ever since he has been asking me for it. So I made him a tie using the Patons soy/wool. I used a pattern I found in Punk Knits By Share and Bam Ross. It is a great little knitting book I found at the library and I highly recommend it. There are several items in there that I intend to make. The tie was a fun , quick knit and Dan loves it ~ in fact , he wore it to work today. It is all done in garter stitch and had increasing and decreasing so it was good practice for me. No matter how small the project I always learn something new. This made me realize that when you do your increases or decreases you want to do it 3 or 4 stitches from the edge so you don't leave an obvious pattern line (unless that is what you want to do).

I also made a hat to go with the Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono that was previously blogged- I am going to call it Awesomely cute hat because it turned out so well.
The hat pattern was a generic one I found on the internet and I added the pom pom and the crocheted edging. Of course it is made with the Peaches and Creme 100% cotton in the same color as the kimono. I am currently working on another kimono- playing around with the sizing and making it a little bigger than the other one so Jenna can wear it when she is a little bigger towards the Fall/ Winter. She will be born in July and won't need a bunch of warm clothes so hopefully this new kimono will get some wear when the weather is chilly and she is bigger. We'll see if it works out- Will show some progress on it as it comes along.

This is not knitting related but wanted to share this little girls picture with you. She has nested in our yard on 11 eggs. It is going to be fun watching the miracle of life right in our own front yard. I will try to post pics of her and the babies when they hatch.

C'ya- Jules

Awww- it's a baby! Knitter I mean-

2007-04-18T11:54:00.000-05:00

One Friday I got the awesome experience of having my first knitting student. This is Melissa-She is my friend and I fondly think of her as my daughter in love. I have been sharing with her some of my knitting and talking to her about knitting ever since I started a few months ago. Little by little I could see her getting more interested until the one day she really sat down with me and started looking through some of the knitting books that I have checked out from the library. She saw some things that interested her and I told her to let me know when she was ready to learn- well she got ready quickly and got some supplies and is happily joining the knitting world.She is very enthusiastic and will no doubt do many great things once she masters the techniques.It's a little difficult to watch her struggle through her first dropped stitches, adding stitches unknowingly and trying to figure out where this strange stitch came from but it is something we all have to go through at first to get to the good stuff. I being fairly new to knitting myself know all too well the pitfalls you have at first and the heart wrenching agony of having to rip out stitches that you for hours put on those needles. The patience pays off though and I am beginning to realize that for myself. The thrill she got from her first swatch all lopsided with uneven stitches and all brought me back to my first endeavor- what a mess it was but I will cherish it always - it was my knitting first baby step and it tells me where I have been and how far I have come. I made sure to tell Melissa to save hers so she can look back someday and smile thinking about her beginning of her beautiful journey she is undertaking in knitting. Good Luck Mels - Love ya and keep on knitting! C'ya - Jules

It's hard to say Goodbye

2007-04-16T09:15:00.000-05:00

It's bittersweet because I SO enjoyed knitting this little gem BUT...
I am so very pleased to announce that my Poppy is complete!
It was a long day on Sunday putting the finishing touches on it but I made it. Phewww! I really wanted to get it done so I can move on to other things with a clear mind.Drum roll-I am so excited how well it came out- as I was knitting the armholes I was worrying that the sleeves were not going to fit- I had a little trouble when knitting them in the beginning- as I pinned them in to get ready to sew them I was pleasantly surprised to see that they fit perfectly. I was jumping for joy as I happily sewed them in place.

The top of the front is knitted in two sections believe it or not- the Noro yarn blended nearly perfect and you can barely tell that it was done separately . I couldn't do that again if I tried-
The crocheted edging around the neckline gave me a little trouble- it was a bit wobbly for me and wouldn't lay right - I ripped it about 4 times before it suited me. Then moved on to the bottom edging- again I ripped it several times before finally calling it good enough. I was extremely picky with the details since this was my first sweater and I want to make a good impression with it. Oh and by the way - it fits me perfectly- I would have enclosed a photo of me modeling but don't have anyone around to snap a pic. It was fun and I cannot wait to start another one- I think I may wait until Fall when the weather gets chilly to cast on my second. In the meantime I have lots of things to keep me knitting. I have that new Granddaughter coming in July and I need to get really busy knitting for her. There just isn't enough hours in the day for me to accomplish everything I want to do. It is fun trying though. C'ya real soon- Jules

Poppies, Poppies, Poppies

2007-04-06T11:51:00.000-05:00

That is exactly what I am thinking about this weekend (other than Easter and cooking) - I have gotten both sleeves completed and they are fabulous! I want to wear them as is but will wait to finish it. By that time the weather may have warmed up and it will have to wait until next Fall but I sure could have used it the past few days- it got crazy cold here and even snowed! But before I get to Poppy pics take a look at this -

This just oozes Spring to me. We love coloring Easter eggs every year and have so much more fun now that we have Riley to share the fun with us~~

I don't know who had more fun - Riley or his Grampie .Grampie rushed home from work just to take part.

Here is my Poppy so far-sleeves-DONE!

I am doing the body of the sweater in elann collection. It is Peruvian Sierra Aran 80% Wool and 20% Alpaca in Mulberry.It is luscious yarn and oh so soft. It is so very reasonably priced that I am thinking of getting more of it to make hubby's sweater that I am planning. Take a look at elann.com they have some great prices. I love the layout of their site where they have the fiber content right there for you and you don't have to click around to find it.
This pattern really allows for your own personal touch by having you place rows of color and garter ridges randomly where you see fit. I am having a blast choosing color from the Noro Silk Garden that I used on the sleeves to place the color rows. It is letting me be me! Love it -

Everyone have a Happy Easter! C'ya - Jules

A Little Something

2007-04-05T11:49:00.000-05:00

I hinted around about this last time and I finished it today-

It is the Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono from The Mason*Dixon Knitting book on page 22 and it is for my little Granddaughter who will be arriving in July .

I used a combo of 100% cotton Peaches & Creme in Over the Rainbow and Cotton Tots in white. I love the color variation in the Over the Rainbow with the sherbet colors of orange, green and pink. The offer in the book is plain white but I got creative with the colors and mixed it up. I added some detail with the 3 puffy hearts I found in my sewing box- it was as if they were waiting there to add a special touch to this precious piece. For me they are very special - as I was sewing them on I thought of the 3 people who will be most important and closest to her from the moment she is born - Her Mommy, Daddy and big Brother Riley.

The pattern called for either garter or stockinette stitches but I got caught up in creativity and decided to do both. I did garter stitch to about an inch at the bottom on the left flap and then did stockinette the rest of the way.I did the entire right flap in stockinette. I think it gives the piece a lot of textural interest.

I added a button at the overlap so when the baby is picked up the right side flap won't bunch or fall open. I love how the colors and the two stitch patterns look at the overlap.

I also added a button at the lower left flap- the pattern suggested a tie at the corner but I was thinking it might be excessive bulkiness and also might be uncomfortable for the baby when she is lying on her side - no Granddaughter of mine will have to endure discomfort if I can do anything about it so I put a little button there instead.

I added the little ribbon tie on the lower right flap which I feel gives it the perfect finishing touch.

Her Grammie loves her and thinks she is really someone special- can't wait to see her wearing it! C'ya - Jules

Coming along nicely

2007-03-28T15:00:00.000-05:00

One sleeve done and the next one is well on its way- I am happy with the color variation- I didn't want the sleeves to match up- I am eclectic like that. I ran into a problem on the first sleeve when it came to shaping it at the top. The pattern didn't tell me to switch from knitting in the round to back and forth and I got really confused- I got help at the Poppy Along from a friendly fellow knitter. Once she confirmed for me that back and forth was correct I got right on it and got it done. I have whipped the other sleeve out and hope to finish it this evening. I just ordered the yarn for the rest of the sweater and can't wait to finish it even though I know I won't be wearing it until next Fall/Winter.
I have some ideas of "little" things to keep me busy in the meantime and will post about that next time- never a dull moment in my world of knitting- love it! C'ya - Jules

Looky what I can do?

2007-03-22T08:46:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, don't you just love it when you even impress yourself? This is the start of the first sleeve on my first sweater- ever! I am so excited I even knitted on it all night in my sleep. I couldn't shut down my brain from thinking about it. I have worked on it the last 2 night's and couldn't wait to post about it. It is glorious- I don't mean to sound conceited, but , it is coming out better than I could have imagined. Just to refresh your memory I wrote about this in a few post's ago. It is Poppy from the fab book Yarnplay by Lisa Shobhana Mason, page 99. It is also on the front cover of the book done in red's. I am doing mine in blue's- Noro # 247 for the top and I have not yet picked out what will become the bottom panel. There are sooo many color variation's in this yarn that I have a multitude of choices but will probably stick with the blue's.
The bottom panel and the sleeve edge are to be done in the same yarn but I was anxious to get going on it and decided to just use some Paton's Classic Wool that I had left from my knitting bag project and get started on it.
I also came up with this groovy idea after I weaved in my ends and it was difficult to tell where my starting point was- so I used a safety pin to put my row counter on and that way I can tell where my starting point is and I don't have to continually have my row counter bulking up my needles. I thought it was pretty clever.
I'll keep ya posted on my progress. C'ya

It's in the bag-

2007-03-19T09:45:00.000-05:00

I was able to finish my knitting bag yesterday and I think it turned out fabulous! It was fun to knit and I loved the finish work. The original pattern called for stockinette stitch but I did it in seed stitch instead- I like it better because it gave it great texture and interest. Also, the original pattern had you using straight bamboo handles and I opted for the round ones due to the fact that it was the only kind I could find. I was unsure how to attach them until I looked in my good ole' Stitch N'Bitch book and there is a similar bag featured there that indicated to just simply sew them on with the same yarn used in the project- so that is what I did and it was fast and easy. Before attaching the handles I fully lined it so when I place my needles in there they won't poke through. I have lots of fabric but to make the job that much easier I
just used an older pillow case I had laying around and it worked perfect. I just cut it in half , ironed a 1/4 inch seam and sewed it in. I just love it and it will be nice to tote my knitting around in. Gotta go - cause I got my Noro and that sweater is just calling my name. C'ya!

By the way - check out my new blog at

http://layzdayzrover.blogspot.com

We had a great time~Knitting took center stage~

2007-03-17T10:37:00.000-05:00

It was a fun trip (see next post) - the highlight for me was starting a new project and what was waiting for me when we got home (more about that later). We did some sight seeing in Evansville, Indiana and found this
As you can see it's the Public Library and it was spectacular. The architecture inside and out was breathtaking.
And then we went here...
'Cause what is a mini vacation without a little knitting? It is an adorable little shop with the kindest shopkeeper.
I had to start a new project so I picked up some supplies-I have been wanting to make an all natural knitting bag to carry my supplies in. I am using Paton's Classic Wool in Natural Mix and Paton's Soy Wool Stripes in Natural Earth. Both are extremely soft and luscious. Since the pattern I am using calls for a bulky yarn I decided to use 3 strands held together instead , 2 of the Classic Wool and 1 of the Soy wool. It is the making of a nice bulky fabric. I am using the pattern in Reader's Digests "Knitting in No Time". There are some wonderful patterns in this book and I intend to get my own copy as this one is from the library.

I am using the pattern from page 128 but am putting my own twist on it and doing it in seed stitch rather than the stockinette stitch it calls for. I am also going to make it a little larger but am using size 17 needles instead of the size 19 it calls for. I am happy with it so far and will try to finish it by the end of the weekend, lining and all.

C' ya!

Gone Seein' The Blue's

2007-03-17T07:17:00.000-05:00

The Blue Man Group is the reason for a couple of days off and a nice relaxing trip to Evansville, Indiana for me and my hubby. Our kid's got Dan tickets to see The Blue Man Group for Christmas so we took full advantage of the time. Dan really digs the Blue Men and I gotta say after seeing the concert I am starting to get it. Now I am not going to proclaim to be a die hard fan by any means, but they can be entertaining for a little while. They are definitely different and the music is enjoyable. No , maybe I would need to see them about 10 more times to really GET IT. It was a nice experience and the guy who opened for them is Mike Relm and here is a little snippet of what we saw- I will let you form your own opinion-

Let me Introduce....

2007-03-13T13:32:00.000-05:00

THE laziest cat in the world! This is Kenyon. We rescued him from a shelter just a little over 3 years ago. He was born at the shelter and had spent his first 5 months there in a cage with his brother's. When he came home with us he was terrified at the prospect of having so much room to roam. We already had another cat and her name is Melissa...
Yup , the girl has attitude! This look says it all. She is an elderly old woman now but she has been like this her entire life. We got her when she was a few weeks old from a friend's Mom who had a litter born on her property. We lived in Maryland at the time which makes Melissa about 12 or 13- we disagree about what year it was so we speculate. She is definitely not a lap cat except to my son Justin who in Melissa's eyes can do no wrong. She absolutely adores him and he is her person. Needless to say she wanted NOTHING to do with Kenyon when we brought him home and we felt Kenyon needed some companionship so we went back to the shelter and came home with...
Rocky (The Rockster). If a cat could be a rock star Rocky would be one. He is one cool cat. He and Kenyon hit if off and they are the best of buddies. Rock was a teeny , tiny baby when we brought him home and him and Ken would romp and roll all over the floor. We found ourselves turning off the tv just to watch them play. That was a couple of years ago and occasionally they will still get into a little romp but Kenyon has let himself go and hardly ever gets up except to eat and chase yarn .Rocky spends his days looking out the window hoping to spot a bird or bug to watch when he's not asleep on the bed. He's a nutty boy when the yarn comes out and occasionally gives chase with Melissa. I guess you would call us "cat people".Who couldn't just love em?

I'm Bookin'

2007-03-09T07:18:00.000-05:00

I went stark ravin' mad yesterday! I had so many books on hold at the library that they had to keep them on a special shelf behind the counter instead of the usual hold shelf. And if that was not enough I picked up 3 more books in the new section. What were they about? Knitting , of course. All of them.

I tried to knit socks the other night- it was a disaster. I couldn't figure out where to start once I got the stitches cast on to the needles. Luckily, along with the multitude of books I have there is a video of someone (can't remember who) demonstrating how to make basic socks. Maybe that is where I can start- I will find the video and watch it and that will enlighten me as to where to go from there. I am overwhelmed , but it is a good kind of overwhelming. This will be a fun weekend for sure.

I finally found a 40" circular so I can continue on my shawl/shawls from the "Greetings from Knit Cafe" book. I have one in pink and then I started this one to fill in gaps until my new yarn arrives. I am loving how this one is coming along. The yarn is really nice to work with as it is my "no name" yarn from a seller on ebay. It is handspun and the colors are really earthy and it is super soft. I decided to just do the width of the stripes randomly so I don't have to count rows and I think it will add to the rustic feel of it. It looks a little mottled there on the second row from the bottom but that is just a glitch in the camera angle. This baby is perfect- I wanted the stitches to be really even and no dropsies. I ripped about 20 rows towards the beginning and re-knit them because I saw a stitch that wasn't quite perfect for me. I am usually not that anal about such things but it really stood out and I knew it would bug me later so I said to heck with it and just did it over. I know, I know it looks more like a sweater than a shawl but I really like it and once I get the fringe going on it will look like a big warm, cozy sweater shawl that you can wrap up in on a cold night and look at the stars. I want to get knittin' on it right now so...Cya!

It's A Woman Child - Yeah!

2007-03-08T07:42:00.000-05:00

I think these pictures just about sum it up except to say that we are some very happy Grandparents that are ecstatic for Joey, Crystal and Riley. We can't wait to meet and welcome into our family this precious girl!

It's A Boy ! It's A Girl!

2007-03-07T10:04:00.000-05:00

These are the words that are ringing in my ears today in gentle anticipation. My oldest son Joey and his wife Crystal will be announcing at dinner tonight what the sex is of their second child -our second Grandchild -that will be here in July. I have no preference whether it's a Grandaughter or Grandson - a couple of people have mentioned to me that "oh you must be wishing for a little Grandaughter" but that is really not the case . My only hope is to savor and cherish every moment of this experience regardless of the gender.
It seems like only moments ago that I got the call from my son saying "Mom. it's a boy" when they found out from the ultrasound that Riley was indeed a boy- their first. Tears well up in my eyes just thinking about that moment- as they did then AND I was driving at the time. It was such a surreal moment hearing my first born tell me he was going to be a Father of a Son. Words cannot express how sweet it felt and over 2 years later when I hear his voice in my memory of that call I still get giddy with joy and my heart feels like it is overwhelmed with love. I was so happy for him , them , all of us that would be a part of this brand new life.
They took Riley to the appointment with them this morning and since it was my day to watch him as soon as they arrived I knelt down and asked , "well did they say boy or girl? " Riley simply replied in his little 2 year old voice "yes". I have prodded him all day for some inkling or a mere spark in his eyes as I say to him " did they say brother OR sister" but I am getting nothing , no sign whatsoever. I guess I am destined to wait it out. I am sure at the moment they tell us I am going to get that feeling once again and how precious that moment will be.

Smitten with Knittin'

2007-03-04T09:42:00.000-05:00

I love Sunday's. It snowed all day yesterday and was one of the kind of days that I look forward to but are all too few and far between. It was warm and cozy in the house and there were huge flakes falling from the sky. The only thing missing was a crackling fire in the fireplace but lo and behold a few weeks ago we ran out of wood to burn. First time in 10 years of living in this house did we run out and sure enough the week after we had a nice blizzard and was snowed in for 3 days- bummer - but we survived and will really stock up next fall.

I decided against the armwarmer's as mentioned in the previous post and decided to start another shawl from "Greetings from knit cafe" By Susan Mischer and Victoria Pearson. I had started this shawl awhile back and while

it is a really fun and mindless knit I strayed away from so as to not get bored with it and went on to other things. I have went back to it but am in a dilemna as it has grown too long for my 29" circulars. I am in desperate need of at least a 47" circular to carry on with it. So what to do?? I need to search some internet sites and find one-

I cannot have idle hands so I started another one ( I am waiting on my Noro to get here for the sweaterwith anxious anticipation).

Since it is done in stockinette stitch it is so roly poly and this is the best shot I could get of it while holding it down with one hand and snapping the pic with the other. It is on size 5 needles and is slow going but it is a nice relaxed knit to watch tv with- gawd, I wish I had season's 4,5 and 6 of The Soprano's. Ok , I regressed there for a moment. Anyhoo - it is with my "no name" ebay yarn which is soft and extremely different from anything I have ever knit with before (other than my cute MP3 cozy) . Updates on that project later...

I have managed to find and purchase a copy of Sensational Knitted Socks.
I will soon be knitting my way into sock oblivion I am sure- this is all so new and fun and exciting I want to try EVERYTHING now! I just have to learn to pace myself and take it slowly so I don't lose focus. I am going to go now and do a little chanting before I sit down to knit awhile. G'day!!!! C ya! Hmmmmmm!

A knitting kind of day in the neighborhood

2007-03-01T11:35:00.000-05:00

It is rainy , cold and not fit for man nor beast outside today here in Indy. The temps are up (40's) which is lucky for us 'else we would have lots of snow. You have to excuse me I spent the entire day yesterday with my desperately cute and precious 2 year old Grandson Riley and am still talking baby talk. Ohhhh ok, my arm has been twisted into posting a pic or two of the darling angel......

He is absolutely adorable and awwwww I just noticed he had a wittle drop of milk on his wittle chin. Quite the ham in front of the camera- he says "cheese 'booger" ! He has a new little brother or sister "baking in the oven" that will have alot to live up to -but -I am sure he/she will be just as sweet as this one here. It is hard to stop cooing and making over him but down to more serious , but fun, business - Knitting.

I have finished my scarf that matches the Calorimetry previously mentioned- it turned out well and I plan to wear it alot.

Not much to say about it except that I used Paton's Classic Wool in Rosewood and size 8 needles. 2x2 ribbing - fun, bored with it now and am ready to move on to much bigger and more complicated projects-

Oh , and I have successfully completed a suitable MP3 cozy that is both cute and functional.

It was a fast and easy little knit using garter and stockinette stitches with my "no name" yarn purchased on ebay.
I got several wonderful books at the library one of which I am especially fond of called "Yarnplay" By Lisa Shobhana Mason. It is filled with mind blowing , gorgeous projects and I got more excited with every turn of the page. I ordered the Noro yarn it requires to make the sweater featured on the front cover. Gawd, I am totally obsessed ! It is such a healthy addiction I can't feel guilty about it no matter hard I try.

I saw this knitting store listed on another blog and just want to shout out to the world how excited I am about it. Bein' a newbie to this world of knitting and blogging maybe everyone has already heard of it , but just in case it is called Little Knits and the prices are spectacularly reasonable. I HAD to have some of their stuff-

I have to go do some brainstorming now as to what will occupy me until that yarn arrives for the sweater.Mmmmmm~ the Austin armwarmer's on page 53 of Lisa's book look absolutely groovy -gotta have em' yep!

C- ya!

Happy Tuesday

2007-02-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

I am working feverishly to get the scarf done that matches my Calorimetry because I got a whole new bunch of yarn to start a new project!

I bought it all on ebay and I was really apprehensive to do that but thought I would give it a try. The seller has excellent feedback. I am happy with it except that none of it indicates exactly what the fiber content is. It was listed as combo's of mohair, silk , alpaca , wool, cotton. Each hank is guaranteed to contain at least 120 yards. I don't have a clue what i'll do with the single hanks although they are very nice.

I want to start knitting socks but am at a loss as to what a good starting pattern would be. I have looked on the internet and found some sock patterns but nothing has jumped out at me.

I have some knitting books on order at the library so I am hoping that gives me some ideas. I like to get books at the library and look them over to see if they need to live with me. If I like them then I will buy a copy .

I have so many things to do today so no knitting will be done until this evening. I will be able to finish that scarf tonight so I will post back and give an update on what's to come.

Knitting Questionnaire- Courtesy of Jamaica

2007-02-21T20:18:00.000-05:00

1) What type of yarn do you knit with most often?
My knitting experiences have been limited to merino wool, cotton and alpaca- I gotta say the merino wool has been my favorite due to the fact that the ones I have used are soft and nubby, which makes for a nice textured piece

2) Is there any type of yarn that you would love to try but haven't yet, such as bamboo, banana fiber?
Hemp and mohair are the two that I am dying to try

3) In your opinion what is a luxury yarn?
Any yarn that I would sacrifice buying something else for

4) Is there any type of yarn or fiber content you dislike or would prefer not to receive?
I am repelled by anything the least bit itchy or scratchy- I am very sensitive to things rubbing on my skin.

5) What type of garments do you most often knit?
Since I am a beginner I have to say the only garments I have knit are scarves but I am getting my brave on to start a sweater

6) What types of knitting books do you enjoy?
I love knitting books that don't take knitting soooo seriously- and have very explicit instructions. Since I am a beginning knitter I need things spelled out for me clearly and concise. My knitting bible is StitchN'Bitch By Debbie Stoller (thank you Rachael and Jamaica for the turn on). And recently The Mason- Dixon Knitting Book has entertained me.

7) What is a color you like but rarely or never buy yourself?
Fuschia- I love it but look terrible wearing it-it does something horrible to my skin tone.

8) If you were pregnant and had to name your baby a fiber, what would her/his name be?
Julia "Cashmere" Jacobs - Novak

9) Do you spin?
Not yet, I will be by the end of the year i've vowed

10) What is one fiber you've never spun? N/A

11) If someone in your family or a best friend had to describe you in one word, what would it be?
Insane

12) Please tell us one odd thing about you.
I don't think it is odd but other's have told me it is- I love to clean. Sweep , mop , dust , housework sort of things.

13) What was your favorite cartoon when you were little.
Yogi Bear- I wanted to go on a picnic with him- he has style

14) Do you have animals?
3 cats- Melissa , Kenyon and Rocky. 10 fish - No names

15) And last but not least, if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I have lived so many places I prefer to stay put in Indiana. But , if they kicked me outta here I would want to live in Italy.

Baby Blankie

2007-02-21T09:41:00.000-05:00

In an effort to document all of my work I want to feature today a baby blanket I recently made. It is from Debbie Stoller's "Stitch N' Bitch" book and is called "big bad baby blanket" the designer is Lisa Shobhana Mason. I made it in JoJoLand Bloom. It is a gorgeous textured yarn made of 59% wool and 41% cotton. It it really soft and cozy. I love the detail on the blanket. The pic to the left is the center of the blanket. There you can see where stockinette stitches intersect. It was made with 2 yarns held together for a nice plush feel. The edges are in seed stitch which is a nice contrast to the stockinette.

It was my first venture into knitting beyond a scarf which was a little intimidating but I found it to be a quick and easy knit. I was sad for it to end because it was so much fun.

I have to admit I did alot of back tracking with this one. I wanted it to be absolutely perfect as it will belong to my new grand child that is due in July07. The kids gotta get busy making more babies so I will have more blankie's to knit -

This and That

2007-02-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

The scarf to match my Calorimetry is coming along. I ran out of the Rosewood yarn and will have to find something to satisfy my lust for knitting until I can get out to get some more. I am doing a simple 2x2 rib which I find to be really warm for a nice scarf in Paton's Classic Wool. I will be felting it once it is finished.
I didn't realize what a nice pattern it was forming until I took the picture of it. I love it!

In the meantime , I decided I would make a cozy for my first MP3 player-ever. I haven't gotten it yet but got the specs for it online from the store I ordered it from. I began knitting and decided I would do a simple garter stitch since I would felt it anyway the pattern wouldn't matter much. I used a size 8 needle and Paton's Classic Wool in Harvest. Long story short it was much too small after the felting process- cute nonetheless- so I decided to just use it for my teeny tiny knitting tools such as the point protectors, row counter and stitch markers. Perfect! Now about that MP3 player cozy. I made another one twice as large as the first one and again- too small. I will make yet another one and update later.

C'Ya

New Project-Originally posted on 15Feb07

2007-02-18T11:46:00.000-05:00

I started a new project last night. A scarf to match the Calorimetry head scarf from Knitty.com that I made last weekend. The Calorimetry was a quick knit and alot of fun to see come together.

I did it in Paton's Classic Wool Merino - the colors are gorgeous in a varieagated called Rosewood. I was so excited to see it come together I couldn't stop knitting. It didn't truly appear until I bound it off and then you could see the shape form almost like magic.I had done 2X2 rib before in scarves but had never worked short rows and didn't know if I was doing it quite right but it turned out great and was soooo easy. This was my first felted project and I was a bit skeptical if I would like it after felting but it is wonderful.As you can see I didn't let the felting go all the way as I wanted some of the stitch lines to still be visible so I cheated and took it out before the process was complete. I really like the way it came out and decided I should make a matching scarf using the 2X2 ribbing.

Pictures of the scarf in progress in the days to come.

Snow Days- Originally posted on 14Feb07

2007-02-18T11:40:00.000-05:00

Snow days are fun! Major downpours of snow and ice make for a nice time to snuggle in and do some serious knitting. That is exactly what I did without a single shred of guilt yesterday. We sat and watched the snow/ice fall and watched movies, ate, slept and of course I knit to my hearts content.
I did my workout early (about 7:00 a.m.) as soon as I knew everyone would be staying home.
I read Mason*Dixon Knitting by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne and it has kept me in "stitches"- pardon the pun . I have been wanting to try one of the Ballband Dishcloth's so I tackled it and found it to be one of the easiest things I have done to date.

I am using the Peaches and Creme 100% cotton yarn (in white and potpourri) , as suggested in the pattern and it is turning out quite well. I am working feverishly to finish it so I can start another one. They are truly addicting. Good thing I stocked up on some Peaches and Creme yarn since a trip to the store would be a major problem.Yarn stash=FUN. I am working continuously on the stash!

My first blog post- ever

2007-02-18T11:35:00.000-05:00

04 Feb 07 Sunday
After several failed attempts at knitting I have finally conquered the what to be thought impossible. I am well on my way to becoming an experienced knitter. I am really jazzed about it too. I find myself thinking about knitting quite alot these days. Much of my mind control , wake up in the middle of the night thoughts revolve around it now. Which is a really good thing. I used to wake up and worry about my kids, are they ok or will I wake up in the morning to find them dead in their beds? What about my husband? Does he really love me or is it a just a facade so he won't feel like a loser if he leaves me? What can I do better to make him crazy in love with me? Or the dreaded bills fear- what if we can't pay the mortgage next month? I just know we will end up on the street holding those signs begging for spare change from strangers and the kids will go hungry and get some terrible disease and I will find them dead in their cardboard box wrapped up in dirty old carpet behind a trash can while trying to stay warm. I don't know why the dreaded thoughts come in the peaceful quiet of the night but I sure am glad that knitting now occupies that space . I think about stitches I want to try and how did I do that again? I work stitches in my sleepy brain and hope they will still be there in the morning so I can remember and execute them into something real I can hold in my hand and admire. I count stitches instead of sheep to fall asleep. I Love knitting!

100 Things

2007-02-13T13:28:00.000-05:00

100. I love to knit
99. I look forward to every day
98. I don’t go to church
97. My favorite color is pink
96. I drive a yellow VW bug named Lola
95. My Daddy’s name is Joseph and I love my Daddy so…
94.I named my first born son Joseph
93. My favorite place to eat is at home
92. I love to watch The Soprano’s
91. I like to bowl once in awhile
90. I sing very loud when I am alone
89. I start my Christmas shopping in January
88. I make lists for everything
87. I am a loner
86. I love to sell on Ebay
85. My favorite candy is Heath Candy Bar
86. I love to cook
85. When I was a little girl I had a dog named Ordy
84. My favorite song is “Babe” By Styx
83. My Grandma taught me how to crochet when I was 7
82. I am neurotic – most of the time
81. I love to dance
80. My favorite store is Trader Joe’s
79. Patchouli is my favorite scent
78. I have 3 cats and 10 fish
77. I love being in a swimming pool
76. I have lived in Indiana, Colorado, Germany, Kentucky, North Carolina , Maryland and Hawaii
75. I passed the state board for Cosmetology and got my license but never worked as a Cosmetologist
74. I graduated from Hair Design School when I was 21
73. I get winter depression every year
72. I am married to the man of my dreams
71. I like to eat potato chips in bed sometimes while watching tv
70. I like to snuggle with my kitty Rocky
69. I am very organized
68. I keep my car immaculate
67. I have an adorable grandaughter due 07/21/07
66. I would rather be home than anywhere else in the world
65. I watch Rachael Ray’s 30 minute meals almost everyday
64 I love to bake
63. I like beer
62. I use coupons all the time- for almost everything
61. I worked full time in a dental office for 6 years
60. I hated that job
59. Christmas is my favorite holiday
58. I am the 6 th child born to my parents
57. I will learn to spin before the end of this year
56. I have never gotten a traffic ticket
55. I love ice cream- any flavor
54. I have an adorable Grandson named Riley Joseph
53. I choose Coke over Pepsi
52. I hate to dress up
51. I love summer over all other seasons
50. I play one game of Free Cell almost everyday
49. I am not competitive
48. I like to get up early in the morning while it is still dark
47. Driving is one of my least favorite things to do
46. I don’t like to go to amusement parks
45. I have 3 kids- Joseph 29, Jamaica 24 and Justin 18
44. I love mobster movies- Godfather, Good Fellas etc…
43. I like snow for about 1 day and then it can go away , far far away
42. Don’t call me – I hate to talk on the phone
41. I like doing laundry and hanging it on the clothesline outside
40. I live in a white house but not THE white house
39. I love rainy days
38. My son Justin is the most artistic person I know and my favorite
37. I appreciate everything and everyone I have in my life
36. Small, furry rodent things give me the heebie jeebies
35. I take a shower everyday but don’t always brush my hair (I have really long hair)
34. I am superstitious
33 I love surprising others but don’t like to be surprised
32. I love being naked
31. I don’t like soap operas or game shows
30. My all time favorite snack is popcorn
29. I have a tattoo on my hiney- heart with “Dan”
28. I love to get a full body massage
27. I frequently cuss
26. I hate wearing shoes
25. I don’t understand daredevils
24. I am really bad at Math
23. I love being in love
22. I used to like camping but not so much anymore
21. I have 4 sister’s and 1 brother all older than me
20. I love a long , hot bubbly bath
19. I have a strange sense of humor
18. Procrastinator’s annoy me
17. I love the smell of puppy breath
16. I love to eat a vine ripe tomato and let it drip down my chin
15.My Grandson Riley is the cutest person I know- My great nephew Mikey is a close 2nd
14. My daughter is my inspiration for many things- I hope to be a lot like her when I grow up. Did I mention she is my favorite?
13.This is more difficult than I thought it would be
12 I sometimes think I have psychic powers- then I get over it
11 .I am the luckiest person I know
10. I have never been on jury duty
9. I love pedicures
8 Sunken ships creep me out
7. I went to Intercourse, Pennsylvania once for an anniversary trip with my hubby. Seriously, it really exists.
6. I plan to go back to Hawaii for my 25th wedding anniversary- since that is where me and my adorable hubby were married
5. I can’t remember jokes
4. I saw John Denver in concert once ( not proud of that)
3. My Parents were married for over 50 years
2. I think my son Joey is the best Dad and writer that ever lived- AND he’s my favorite
1. I hate to exercise – but do it anyway