Update

Surprise! 

I felt I should drop in to report a few momentous events this past year.  The Photographer and I became first-time Grandparents this past November.  Not under the most ideal of circumstances...

Our youngest daughter and her husband's first baby was due February 12, 2013 but the little one decided she just had to come early - the middle of November.  Three months premature, it was very scary but Mother and Baby Girl came through just fine.  Baby weighed 2 lbs. 4oz at birth but is now up to 5lbs at two months old.  Doctors say she is perfectly healthy if small.  We are all so grateful considering what might have been. (I haven't been cleared to post photos of Baby Girl but you know we have lots and lots!)

And on a sad note we had to put our beautiful dog Annie down on November 19th.  She had cancer and at 13 she was just to old to put through chemo.  Even if she was old and deaf it was an incredibly hard decision.  I miss her constantly, so many little things during each day remind me she's not here anymore.

I'm still knitting; just terrible at taking the time to document finished items. I don't blog about them and I don't put them on Ravelry.  I keep trying but... I guess I'm lazy?  I did find an app for my iphone called Yarma that let me send photos directly to my Ravelry projects,  doesn't seem to be helping/forcing me to put up my knitting items.  Now if they'd write an app that took pictures for you.

BlackJack is the new black cat in the house.  (we just call him Jack) He was adopted from the Las Vegas Humane Society by his second owner.  When he couldn't keep him, we saw the posting on Craig's List right before Easter and went and fell in love with this tiny little black furball.  He now is grown and surprised us when his fur started to get longer and longer and he turned into a long haired cat.  (He has long-black hair over white skin - have you ever heard of that?) Jack keeps our older short-haired black cat, Sam, in shape.  The two of them are chasing each other all over the house.

Hopefully, it won't be another two years before I post.

where was I...

Saying, "Things have been busy around here" is quite an understatement!

Last Christmas I made everyone at the Shop similar project bags for Christmas; they were so popular I was ask to put some up for sale. They've been selling fast enough that sewing has been using up much of my free time.

The hardest part of making these bags is finding zippers in colors that work with my fabrics. I'd never noticed but zipper manufacturers don't change their colors to keep up with the changing fabric pallets. (Most blue zipper colors are stuck in the grayed out 1980's hues, for example.) Wonder why these zipper companies are so out of touch with what fabric is currently on the market?

I've still been knitting but getting items finished, blocked and photographed has really been neglected. My latest FO is a shawl from the pattern Springtime Bandit knit in Canopy Fingering Weight Yarn. Of course, I didn't knit the pattern with the right weight yarn; the pattern is written for a worsted weight.

The pattern was knit as written except I did 16 repeats of the Body Chart. Using two skeins of Canopy I finished with just a few inches of yarn left. (I hate that nervous knitting when you're worried about running out of yarn!?

I used the Macaw colorway; these photos don't do it justice. This yarn in the hank looks very different from the knitted item. This colorway has a prismatic color shift depending from which direction you look at it. I've never seen a yarn do this before. Oh, and I have to mention the yarn is a dream to knit with, never had one split stitch!

We lost our 13 year old Siamese, Ty, last week. We'd been running Cat Hospice upstairs for him the past six months so it wasn't a surprise. He had a degenerative disease called Cerebellar Abiotrophy and lost most of the use of his hind legs. We sure miss him, he was a very loving Boy.

Little Entrelac Bag

When I looked through the new Interweave's Holiday Gifts magazine and saw Susan Lawrence's Little Entrelac Bags pattern I knew I was making it as soon as I got home.

It was a fun quick project with Noro Kureyon. The pattern called for a twisted cord, I made a square cord on a Lucet with several strands of thread and pearl cotton. The hardest part has been finding a button for the drawstring.

I have other finished objects but they all need a little something before I take pictures and blog about them.

Ysolda Teague has some great patterns and I'm drawn to her patterns on Ravelry. There's one through that always makes me smile and remember some mystery books I've read. Have you heard of the Aunt Dimity books by Nancy Atherton? The main character has a knit bunny from her childhood that was made for her by Aunt Dimity who lived in England. Well, Ysolda has a knit bunny pattern called Sophie that is exactly the bunny I envisioned while reading. It makes me smile every time I come across this pattern.
(This just proves that you can play "7 Degrees to Knitting" with anything.)

The sun is so low in the south now that it comes further into the house than any other time of the year. The cats are loving it! They follow the sun around the living room during the day. Bright sunlight, the best way to photograph our Sam.


Old man Ty really loves the heat.

Charity Knitting Report

I usually have many projects going at once but for some reason four Charity Projects seem to have gotten finished one after another.

The first were the Camo Hats for the Troops

These Hats are being collected at Two Sister and Ewe. Two Customers, one in the Military herself and the other a Military Wife, are sending these hats to Troops in Iraq. The Shop stocked Camouflage acrylic yarn just for this project. I got two hats out of one ball of this worsted weight yarn.

The second project or projects were my Red Scarf Project donations this year. Two Sisters has a collection basket for this Orphan Foundation of America project. They'll mail them all in the beginning of December. I hope we have Red Scarves everywhere. (Several years ago The Shop was the collection point for Pink Scarves that were going to be sold at the Breast Cancer Walk with all the money going to the Susan Komen Fund. I never saw so much Pink in one place in my life!)


My first scarf is the Li's Reversible Herringbone Scarf. This is a very nice pattern - write to Li if you'd like her free pattern.
Pattern close-up.



My second Red Scarf is made from the Pattern "Men's Cashmere Scarf" in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. Of course, I didn't use cashmere yarn both of these scarves are made with Marble Yarn from James G. Brett.(I was several rows into this pattern when I realized it is nearly identical to Yarn Harlot's Handspun Scarf pattern that I finished just a few weeks ago. I wonder if both authors are aware of how similar their patterns are?)

I recently had a Birthday lunch with my Sister and her daughters and grandchildren and my daughters (neither have children, not for lack of my encouragement!) Here is a photo of my great-nephew Joey (2.5 years)

and my newest great-niece Lily

Wildlife in the City

OK - knitting stuff first...

Using my hand-dyed Superwash BFL from Yarn2Dye4 I made Evelyn Clark's Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style.
I did 11 repeats, 3 more than the pattern called for. The pattern was easy to memorize and a very quick knit. Bind off loosely is an understatement. I knit this with a size 6 needle and bound off with a size 10 which still wasn't loose enough; the bind-off was too tight to get the edging points as shown in the book.
Other than that I'm very happy with how it turned out.

Before blocking it looked more like I was knitting an egg crate than lace.


For living in the city we have our fair share of wildlife in the backyard. There are lizards everywhere eating every bug they can find. I had very few snails or aphids this past Spring and very little catterpiller damage on any of my greens. Yesterday while going in the back door I noticed a baby right near the back door at eye level. (for size reference the medallion is the size of a dinner plate)


He was such a perfect minature.

Can you believe he just stayed there through his photo session with The Photographer never moving except for a slow, infrequent blink. Did you see those TOES!!!

And don't get me started on the blasted squirrel!!! I haven't gotten to a ripe tomato ahead of him.
I feeling like I'm living in a Chip and Dale Cartoon. I've started cutting tomato clusters the second I see any warming in their color.
I may not get the whole "vine-ripened taste" but I'll have some of my own tomatoes! Blasted *#@%^* Squirrels!

Still Around, Still Knitting

Yes, I'm still alive... and feeling wonderful! Dr. changed my thyroid level and some supplements and I'm feeling so full of energy that it's hard to sit still long enough to compose a blog entry. I've finished a few things, the pictures are still in my camera and will make it here eventually.

I've also been running an evening Summer Knitting Program at a local Library which has been a lot of fun. Mostly new or new-ish knitters so lots of problem solving on my part.

Personally, I've several lace projects going and a couple of socks.

My secret Knitty blue project was a dismal failure. I was making, for The Photographer, Retrofit which is a somewhat slim fitting sweater. I made it from measurements I took a year ago since I wanted it to be a Father's Day surprise. His shoulders didn't fit by two sizes and around chest measurement needed to be the next size up. (The smaller sizes really are fitted.) Simply a disaster - the whole way round! The yarn is now back in hanks; it really didn't want to be that sweater.

Next time I'll have pictures, promise.

Annie says, Hey.

Talk of Quilts, Babies and Flowers

My niece is having a baby girl, and as I did for all my nieces and nephew when they were born, I made a quilt. This one is called Baby Coins, the pattern is here. This was a very quick project and best of all, it's made completely from stash. (Yes, I have to admit I have even more quilt fabric stashed than yarn.) I cut slices from fat quarters and used some 6" batik squares, most are just color but there's one little green frog that mostly survived the cutting.



I got carried away with cutting the rectangles and I have enough to make another quilt; I'm seriously considering making a second on baby speculation. My daughters' friends are just starting to get married so you know there will always be new babies that need a gift.

The Barn-Raising blocks are finished. 36 needed but I'm working on number 40 right now.


I'm making a few extra because I'm sure I have some rejects. See any possible rejects in this group? Some really stick out when laid out with the rest of the blocks.


Jamie and Linda, two customers from our shop have started collecting hats to send to our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan; Hats from Home. I knit the hat pattern they suggested, it wouldn't even fit on my head. (everyone else gets a normal adult size hat but my gauge must have been off - way off.) So I ripped it out and I'm making a plain 2/2 ribbed hat.


As you can see my camo isn't pooling it's spiraling. Thank goodness the idea is for warmth rather than style. (Since I always have trouble with sock yarn pooling and flashing I figured this yarn would do the same. Of course, yarn is contrary and this skein is doing the opposite of what I want! I shouldn't have been surprised.)

The cymbidiums are almost done blooming


And the Epi's are just starting.

It needs more Cow Bell!!

Not much to show for the past couple weeks. I've been knitting but sticking to just two projects which is unusual for me. Normally I'm working on four or more projects at one time; what can I say, "I just like variety."

The main project is a store sample. Since I don't get to keep them, store samples are quick projects that I enjoy knitting but I don't want to devote lots of time to BUT I've found one of those rare patterns that has a rhythm to the knitting and I can't seem to put it down. I believe I'm committed to the end of the yarn. It's the very popular Lace Ribbon Scarf on Knitty.


I'm using Ella Rae's Lace Merino (which is more of a fingering weight than lace weight) in color 110. A yellowy light green.

For true colors check out the yarn here.

I'm also still plugging away on my Barn-Raising Quilt blocks. I have 16 finished squares now; everyone a different yarn. I have two blocks that I thought were different yarns but they ended up looking very similar - not sure if I'll use the duplicate looking one or not.

I also am wondering how busy this quilt is going to look with all that changing color. Should I make a bunch of solid color squares to alternate with the more colorful ones. (That might be a problem as I don't have much solid superwash fingering weight yarn, either new or left overs.)

And I'm running out of left overs so I've started combining small bits together and coming out with some great looking squares IMHO.



That's it for knitting around here. I have been spinning but it's still that same white corriedale fleece I've posted before. Six and one-half pounds is beginning to feel like a life time's amount of fleece.

The Photographer went to the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California and has some pictures posted here if you're interested in the race.


(cowbell passed out at the beginning of the race)

Weaving Class

Weaving has been encroaching on my knitting recently. I'm attending a 4 Harness Weaving Class at The Craft Center at UCSD. Week One was how to warp our rental looms. Week Two was weaving (in my case TRYING to weave) 14 different Twill patterns with varying success.



It's amazing how easily I got confused about what pattern row I was on! Even when there were only four rows to the design!!

Week Three we finished our sampler and warped again. This time I'm doing a hounds tooth two-color pattern. Turns out for me the hardest part is counting (who would have thought). Anyway, after several mistakes, pulling warp out, string everywhere and re-doing I got the loom warped and the pattern started. If I sound surprised that's because I can't believe I got it to work.



I'm enjoying the 'learning something new' part of this class but I don't think weaving will ever replace knitting as my craft of choice; my need to do it so I don't go crazy and take everyone along with me. There really is something in my brain that is soothed with knitting; if I have to wait in line or on the phone I can remain calm if I have my knitting otherwise by the time I get to the head of the line I'm really not fit to be talking to anyone let alone trying to solve a problem.

Speaking of Knitting, only two finished objects this past week. The first is a Pinwheel pillow, a sample for the Shop. It's a pattern from the current issue of Knitscene Magazine out of Marble Chunky. (BTW this is a great 100% acrylic chunky yarn. It really sells well, everyone seems to like it as much as I did.)



And Saartje's Baby Booties made for my niece who's expecting a girl this May.


Oh - I should tell you it's been raining off and on this week and should continue through Monday and Tuesday - YEAH! It's been fun seeing the reaction to our mini-summer in winter from Bloggers talking about TNNA. (Great pictures from Anne on Knitspot. Mid-January entries)

The Photographer passed along a couple of photos of Sam and Annie from Christmas:

Sam trying out all the extra chairs around the table


Annie with her stuffed chick present. She always knows there's a present for her; we have to hide it because she can smell which one is hers out of all the other wrapped presents.

Last of 2008 Knitting

Here's the last project of 2008 (not the last finished but the last photographed and blogged.) Spiral Eyelet Socks in Paca-Peds, color #604 Fireside.

These socks made it into both 2007 & 2008 projects list; I'm still pulling out UFOs and finishing them rather than buckling down and finishing my green sweater. (What is the matter with me? I just haven't been in the mood for knitting that requires any brain power.) Don't know why it took me a year to get to the second pair, since the second sock pattern changes to make the diagonal eyelet spiral in the opposite direction - it's like a different sock. There shouldn't have been any second sock syndrome fatigue. Anyway they're done.

Found out I'm going to be a Great Aunt again so I've been perusing baby blankets on Ravelry where I found the Barn-Raising Quilt from Knit-a-long

Thanks to friends (Hi Laurie) I have lots of left over sock yarn. A single square only takes 11 grams of yarn. Here's #1 and #2 squares.


It's fun to watch the spiral design come out as you knit. Wonder how long it will take me to knit all these squares? The baby is due in April...

Here's a photo of a knit gift card holder from Starbucks.




(Sorry they're a bit blurry, the camera just doesn't like red.) I wonder what something like this would look like in sockyarn? Might take longer to hand knit than it's worth but if you're a machine knitter - boy you can just go to town. They just stitched along the edge, no mattress or blanket stitch. The original has a machine stitched down bird design on the front but with a busy self-patterning sock yarn there's no need for a design on the front. Just a thought.

I won a book that I was just going to buy; seriously I was planning to get to Amazon that evening when Norma of Now Norma Knits wrote and told me I'd won the book Knitted Jackets she was giving away. How lucky is that! Thanks Norma.

Time to go and figure out what I did wrong on my Curlicue Afgan. I have 26 stitches hanging there with no where to go. I'm afraid I'm going to have to rip back a couple of sections. Hmmm...

Just made it to 2009

Those 10 days leading up to Christmas were my busiest of the whole year but I made it. The presents were bought and wrapped. The house was minimally decorated. The cookies were baked, packed, wrapped and distributed. Food was bought, cooked and served many times over. And the dishwasher was run two or three times a day! The time spent with Family and Friends was my favorite part of all. It's taken me a couple days with my feet up and knitting in hand to recover but I'm ready to face the New Year. I hope all you were better prepared and enjoyed your Holidays.

I did very little gift knitting this year, I don't know why. Maybe I didn't see any patterns that seemed perfect for anyone on my list or maybe I just wasn't very imaginative this year. I did knit a hat for Laura. It was Black Forest Hat made from Noro Silk Garden edits/leftovers. (I've admitted before to editing skeins of Noro when there's a color in a skein that I don't care for in a project.)


This was fun knitting; both the pattern and trying to select yarn bits that looked like they could be from a regular skein of Silk Garden. The scalloped edge is what initially caught my eye and I like it as much in my finished hat as I did when I first saw it on Ravelry. (The pattern is only available through a free Ravelry download.)

While I was stalling finishing my green sweater I pulled out and finished a sock UFO. These are a 2/2 rib pattern in Cherry Tree Hill, sorry I don't have the band so I can't tell you the color name.


Ty, kept bothering me while I was wrapping gifts. He kept trying to sit on the paper, to give myself a few minutes break from his attention I gave him his own piece of tissue. Little did I know that was all he wanted. He's been on that corner of the sofa sleeping on his paper for over a week now. I have to give him a new piece every other day as he shreds it kneading on it.


I think we all deserve a NEW Year, 2008 is broken and can't be fixed!
Happy New Year 2009 to all